


Life in Technicolor Book 4

by leonhart_17



Series: Life in Technicolor [5]
Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-31
Updated: 2012-10-31
Packaged: 2017-11-17 11:09:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 50,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/550908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leonhart_17/pseuds/leonhart_17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arizona and Callie adjust to being new mothers and busy surgeons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Arizona Robbins knew before she opened her eyes that she was naked. And if the warm flesh underneath her was any indication, she was stretched out on top of her equally naked wife. Sofia’s first night in her own bedroom had gone spectacularly for everyone involved, the three month old thinking nothing of her crib’s relocation while her parents were happy to make use of the rediscovered privacy of their bedroom.

Of course, she wasn’t sleeping through the night yet, so there had been more than one interruption of events, but it was something they were growing grudgingly accustomed to. And if the time on the clock Arizona peeked at with one eye was right, she had about two minutes to find her bathrobe.

Callie groaned as the baby monitor squawked on cue, Arizona rolling off of her and patting her butt lightly. “I’m up. I’ll get her,” she assured her, leaning over to kiss between her shoulder blades. She still took a moment to admire the woman she was leaving in bed as she slipped on a tank top and underwear, pulling her robe over her shoulders. Almost four years and a baby later and she still couldn’t get enough of this woman. And her ass was still fantastic.

Tying her robe as she went into the hall, Arizona found her daughter quieting down to squeaky whimpers and leaned over the crib to pick her up. “Mama’s here, it’s okay,” she coaxed, rocking her gently. “But it’s still early, so I’m going to need you to go back to sleep, okay, sweetie?” As she spoke, she walked, pacing the green bedroom and keeping her voice low. This was normally the perfect recipe for coaxing Sofia back to sleep. And if she could get her back to sleep soon maybe she and Callie could make use of being awake again tonight.

The fates participated and Sofia was yawning almost immediately and blinking sleepy brown eyes up at her. She adored this perfect little face. Tracing one finger across her features gently, she tapped her daughter on the tip of her nose. “That’s my girl,” she whispered. “You’re just the sweetest little girl in the whole wide world. Your Mama loves you more than anything.” On her next turn she caught sight of Callie robed and leaning in the doorway and she quickly corrected herself, “You and Mami. I love you both so much.”

“Smooth,” Callie murmured, arms crossed over her chest. “How is she?”

“She’s fine. She just needed a quick cuddle,” answered Arizona in the same low tone. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

The brunette just shrugged, smiling peacefully from her spot in the doorway. “My back got cold.” She moved forward to look over the side of the crib with her when Arizona put Sofia back down in her bed. “And it’s her first night in her own room. I wanted to check on her too.” Curling her arm through Arizona’s, she pecked a kiss to her cheek.

It appeared that Sofia was back down and peaceful, but they both stayed at the side of the crib for a few minutes to just enjoy her. She really was miraculous. Everything about her made them both fall deeper in love with her.

“We should let her sleep,” Arizona whispered, her head leaning against Callie’s shoulder beside her. “We can get some more sleep.”

“We could,” agreed Callie, stepping backward and pulling Arizona with her by the arm. “Or we could not sleep for a little while longer…”

Arizona’s smirk was immediate, her blue eyes raking her wife’s form. “Yeah?” she asked hopefully.

Callie just nodded, biting her lip and playing with the knot of her robe with her free hand. “Pull her door all the way,” she requested. “I think Alex’s got a girl over.” Their former roommate was crashing with them temporarily while his apartment building was being fumigated. And they had no problem with him having a social life, but it wouldn’t be in the room with their daughter.

“Well, hell if Karev’s the only person getting laid in our house tonight!” Arizona declared as she obligingly pulled the door closed behind her. There was a nightlight next to the crib that would soothe Sofia if she woke up again and the camera for the baby monitor had a night mode.

Laughing, Callie steered her lover back into their bedroom. “Technically he’s not, babe,” she reminded her. “Remember?”

“Of course I remember, Calliope!” Her throat went dry when Callie shrugged out of her robe and let the silky fabric slip to the floor. Holy hell, this woman was gorgeous. No one who’d just had a baby should look this good. Not that she was unappreciative. “Um, actually, I don’t think I do remember that clearly,” she said hoarsely. “Maybe you should remind me…”

Callie eagerly snuck her hands into the sides of Arizona’s robe, sliding her hands down the blonde’s sides to coax the loose knot free and biting her lip again. “You’re beautiful,” she sighed, meeting worshiping blue eyes.

“You are,” Arizona whispered, licking her lips unconsciously. And Callie couldn’t argue because she could see the truth of it in those eyes. Hands on her hips guided her backwards blindly but she let it happen. Arizona wouldn’t let her stumble or fall. “Lay down,” the blonde requested when their mattress touched the back of her knees.

“Strip,” countered Callie with an arching eyebrow. If she was naked, she wanted Arizona naked too. She moved when the blonde slipped the robe off and let it fall where it would. Blue eyes didn’t waver from her as she stretched out, only breaking their stare when she pulled her shirt over her head. Callie hooked her own fingers in the side of her panties and tugged her to join her on the bed, both hands sliding them down her legs and dropping them out of sight.

Arizona instantly laid her body along Callie’s, thriving in so much skin on skin contact. Her hand was soft on the tanned cheek and she leaned up on one elbow to lean in and kiss her slowly. Callie’s hands returned to her hip and trailed over her ass for a squeeze and prompted a smile into their kiss. Gentle tugging coaxed the blonde to slip impossibly closer, Callie craning up against her lips.

Kisses trailing down her neck and chest made her back arch, one of Arizona’s hands sliding across her abdomen. “You’re so beautiful,” the blonde murmured without lifting her head from tanned skin. “Have I ever told you that you’re miraculous? Because I really should have. You’re a miracle, Calliope.”

Unexpectedly strong fingers wove through her hair and tugged her head up. Brown eyes were dark and deep with emotion and her voice was hoarse as she spoke, “Make love to me, Arizona.”

Nodding, the blonde went back to her task, kissing a slow, worshipful path down her lover’s body. Callie could have screamed when Arizona reached the top of her thigh only to retrace her trail back up, but restrained herself to a moan of protest. “I’ll take care of you,” she promised softly, dropping a kiss to her chest. “Trust me.”

And she did, but it was hard to have what she wanted so close but so far at the same time. It was the same torture that had been keeping them apart after Sofia was born. But they were back and everything was back to normal. Arizona finally reached her breasts again, lingering more this time to tease each into a peak between her hands and her lips. “I love you,” Callie gasped helplessly when teeth nipped at her and a warm, slick tongue immediately soothed the sensation.

One of Arizona’s hands had snuck away and Callie bucked, groaning loudly when she felt it between her legs, Arizona hushing her with a laugh. “Shh,” she reminded her in a whisper. “We’ve got to be quiet. Can you do that for me?” 

Callie nodded, gasping and squeezing her eyes closed. She had to bite her lip when Arizona slipped inside her, pushing deep and leaving her fingers there. Arizona resumed her slow, languid, teasing exploration of her lover’s body, her other hand thrusting shallowly without withdrawing. “Arizona, please!” Callie pleaded, beyond feeling desperation. She just needed her.

The next thrust was deeper, fingers curling as they withdrew to bump the spot she knew would send Callie over the edge screaming. But they did have to be quiet so she didn’t linger. She shifted her hips to back the thrusts but didn’t pick up the pace, wanting it to come slowly, build up as she attempted to show Callie exactly how deeply she was loved.

Hands roamed where they would, across Arizona’s back and chest, up her neck to tangle in her hair, down her stomach to tease her curls, and Callie just tried to close her eyes and ride out the sensations her wife was giving her. “I love you!” she gasped out when she couldn’t stay silent anymore, the words completely beyond her control. It had simply become impossible to not say it. “Arizona…” One hand in her hair steered her into a blistering kiss, her other hand sliding in between their bodies and immediately finding the blonde’s tender clit. Feeling her own peak finally close, she applied the rolling rhythm that she knew would bring Arizona with her.

Their orgasms struck only a few seconds apart, Arizona having to break their kiss to breathe, gasping her own love for Callie to hear. She collapsed limply onto her again when their tremors receded, leaving them sated and breathless. “Oh my God… that was…”

“I know,” Callie agreed, breathing hard herself. “Thank you isn’t enough…”

“My pleasure,” declared Arizona with a chuckle, picking her head up to peck a kiss to the top of Callie’s chest, able to feel her thumping heartbeat under her lips. Sliding off of her, she cuddled into her side while Callie found the sheet with one hand and covered them. Outside the moonlight was clear, the full face shining through the window to wrap them both in white light.

Waking before Sofia was rare, but Callie was happy to get the baby monitor away from the sleeping Arizona before cries woke her up. They both had the morning off and she wanted her wife to enjoy a bit of sleeping in. It was the least she deserved after last night, she reflected with a smile as she collected the monitor and left their bedroom with a soft click.

A skinny redheaded woman in her underwear was coming out of the bathroom across the hall and she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. At least Alex hadn’t been the only one in the house to get laid last night. And she was fairly certain that Alex hadn’t experienced anything like she had with Arizona. “Hi,” she greeted her dryly, gesturing for the other woman to go ahead of her down the hall.

“Hey.” The redhead was sheepish, attempting to untangle her hair with her fingers. “I guess you’re one of Alex’s roommates.”

Callie confirmed it with a smile and nod, Sofia’s wake up cries sounding through the door just as they reached her room. “Excuse me,” she said, opening the bedroom door to go to her daughter. “Good morning, baby girl,” she cooed, picking her up. “You did so good in your own room! Mami’s so proud of you!” she praised. She was happy every day that their daughter had gotten the Robbins’ smile. She lived for those dimples.

After a quick diaper change they were downstairs, Sofia settling in with a bottle hungrily while Callie sorted through the fridge for breakfast options. Footsteps on the stairs made her sigh, thinking that Arizona had already woken up, but when she turned it proved to be Karev’s flavor of the week in more clothes and she gave the woman another awkward smile.

“Funny running into you here!” she joked. “I’m Breanne!”

“Callie,” the surgeon introduced herself.

“Oh, is that your daughter? Alex said there was a baby!” Breanne leaned over the slurping Sofia, the baby just blinking wide brown eyes at the stranger. Even with the difference in coloring she looked startlingly like Arizona. Her eyes moved nervously from her mother to the other woman, trying to decide if she was going to spit her bottle out to scream.

Callie gently moved her hand to the back of the bottle and she sighed and relaxed, trusting that her mother knew what was best. “This is Sofia.”

“She’s adorable! She looks a lot like your husband, huh?”

Sighing, Callie shook her head. “Actually, she looks just like my wife,” she corrected her, mildly curious what reaction that would get.

“Oh, cool! Congratulations!” Breanne offered without missing a beat, leaning over to smile at Sofia. “How old is she?”

“Fourteen weeks.”

“Well, she’s super cute!”

“Thank you,” said Callie with an amused smirk, Alex shrugging at her from the hallway behind his date. “Good morning, Karev.”

“Torres,” he greeted her. “Breanne, don’t you have to leave for work? I do.”

She shot a look over her shoulder at him. “I was just trying to be nice to your roommate! And it’s a cute baby!”

“Bye,” Alex said, one arm ushering her out toward the front door.

“Goodbye Alex,” Callie called after him, laughing. “Uncle Alex should try and find a girl that he’s not ashamed to introduce to you, huh? That’s how we’ll know he’s got a good one!” She shifted her as the little girl finished her bottle, making little cooing noises already.

Rocking her against her shoulder, she patted her back until she got a good burp, Sofia content to be held while Callie cooked. The resumption of her happy noises told her when Arizona made her appearance, the blonde’s warm voice behind her. “There’s the two prettiest girls in the world! I was looking for you two!”

Callie leaned over for a kiss to the cheek and let Arizona take the baby from her. “Did you sleep well? We didn’t wake you up?”

“Nope, slept fine. I went looking for Little Miss Screams-A-Lot but it looks like she’s calmer today.”

Laughing, Callie nodded. “We met Karev’s latest special friend but he hustled her out of here in a hurry. It’s been a pretty mellow morning though.”

And the rest of the morning was mellow as well, getting to go into work and take Sofia to the nursery together before they had to part ways. Arizona was carrying their daughter off the elevator and they greeted Teddy with a smile. “You guys look happy. Good morning off?” she asked gleefully as she leaned over to make faces at her goddaughter.

“Absolutely,” Arizona answered her, grinning. “Calliope made breakfast and we cleaned up around the house.”

Callie just shrugged when Teddy gave her a doubtful look. Her wife made her own fun. And she liked having a clean house now that they had a baby around. It would be interesting to watch her cope when Sofia started crawling and could get into everything around the house. But Arizona was nothing if not a capable woman. And it was amazing to watch her be a loving mother. She would make it work.

They had just reached the nursery doors when Callie’s pager went off and she sighed. “I’ve got to go. You two have a good day,” she offered, dropping a kiss on Sofia’s head and on Arizona’s lips. “Love you.”

“Love you too,” Arizona echoed with a smile, waving Sofia’s hand at her.

Following her page to the ER, Callie found a pair of anxious parents gathered around a young girl who was holding her left arm protectively to her chest. “Hi, I’m Dr. Torres. I’m here to take a look at your arm.” Scanning her chart, she noticed that the parents had mentioned that the nine year old was a month post-op from a surgery at Seattle Grace. “Kelly, I see here that you had surgery here at the hospital. How have you been feeling?”

“Fine,” she answered, holding her arm closer. “Dr. Alex fixed me.” Her uninjured hand pulled the bottom of her shirt up to display her scar without prompting. There was no sign of infection and Callie nodded for her to put her shirt back down. “I fell down and hurt my arm,” she offered, sniffling as she held it gingerly out to the doctor for inspection.

Callie didn’t touch her yet, not wanting to hurt her. “She was playing outside,” the mother explained. “I thought it was too soon for her to be playing, but it’s… He was supposed to be watching her!”

“Well, I need to order an x-ray to see how severe the fracture is, but it shouldn’t be anything too bad,” Callie said to reassure her, not wanting to be around if these parents started fighting. “And her incision site doesn’t look infected, but I’m going to ask Dr. Karev to stop by and see you, just to check in with Kelly.”

She returned a little while later when a resident paged that the x-rays were done, distracted just as she reached the ER again and frowning at a page from the nursery. Sofia had only been in daycare for an hour. And she couldn’t walk or talk and could barely even reach for anything specific yet - how much trouble could she have caused? And she had a patient at this second… If it was anything urgent they would page Arizona too. And if neither of them could be reached, they’d page Teddy or call Tim.

“Hey, Kelly,” she greeted her young patient in a rushed tone, snapping the x-rays into the light box to check them. “It looks like you did break your wrist but I’ll get a doctor to put a cast on for you and you’ll be just fine in a few weeks. How’s that sound?”

“Thank you, Dr. Torres!” cried the girl’s mother, stroking her daughter’s hair back.

“No trouble at all,” Callie said easily, calling for casting supplies and a resident, surprised when one of the fifth years came in with a very familiar crying infant in her arms, her surgical gown blowing behind her. “Kepner, what do you think you’re doing? How did you get her out of daycare?”

The frazzled auburn haired doctor, someone she’d seen around but wasn’t terribly familiar with, juggled the baby and diaper bag until Callie took Sofia from her. “Dr. Robbins is in surgery, and I was scrubbed in but she sent me down to the nursery for her.”

“So why did they give her to you?” asked Callie pointedly. They had to raise their voices to be heard over Sofia’s crying. She wanted to know why the nursery was giving her kid out to random residents, even if she had been scrubbed in on Arizona’s surgery.

“They said she started running a fever. They said she can’t be around the other kids until it goes down.”

Shit. Testing her daughter’s forehead against the back of her hand, she groaned. It was a high fever too. “I’m not sure why you thought bringing my sick, infant daughter into the ER full of sick people was a good idea, but you’re here so, Kepner, I need you here,” the resident sighed at missing out on the rest of her surgery but didn’t argue, “Kelly Simpson, age nine, needs a cast on her left arm. You got it?”

“Yes, Dr. Torres.”

Her tone softened, “Thank you, Kepner. Does Dr. Robbins have her phone on in the OR?” April answered affirmatively, echoing her last statement. The Simpsons were watching curiously, Mrs. Simpson looking at Sofia almost as if she recognized her. “Ma’am, I’ve got to go, I’m sorry, but Dr. Kepner is going to fix Kelly up right away.” She left after getting a nod from the parents, not looking back but whispering to the still crying Sofia.

In their wake Mrs. Simpson was watching her go with a frown on her face. “Dr. Kepner?”

“Yes, ma’am?” Kepner answered, taking a seat on Callie’s abandoned stool. “Is there something wrong?”

“No, it’s just… the baby - that was Dr. Robbins’ daughter, wasn’t it?”

Frowning in confusion, the doctor nodded. “Yes, she is. You know Dr. Robbins?” It was odd that someone would know Arizona but not be aware of her wife or daughter.

“She helped Dr. Alex fix me last time!” Kelly chimed in eagerly.

“I guess - Are she and Dr. Torres friends?”

Smiling nervously, April nodded again. “Um, they’re definitely friends. Is there something you wanted to ask, ma’am?”

“Dr. Torres said that was her daughter…”

Kepner frowned again, not sure what the point was. “She is her daughter…” She thought nothing of it. Arizona had never flaunted her sexuality but she’d never hidden it either. It was just part of who she was. And she and Callie, in spite of the drama when George and Izzie had arrived, were probably the most steady couple in the hospital. They were happy, obviously in love, and had a new baby - they were the inspirational couple for the rest of the staff. (And the envy of all of the women.) The happy family had become such a stable staple around the hospital that it completely slipped her mind that some people outside weren’t quite as understanding or open-minded.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of Arizona’s phone ringing was barely audible over the sound of Sofia’s crying, breaking her heart with every single scream. The baby’s cold had transitioned straight into colic, subjecting them all to helpless misery. 

Answering it, Arizona wedged the phone between ear and shoulder as she leaned back into the couch and used her foot to rock Sofia in her bouncy, swinging seat. “Yes sir, Chief?”

“Dr. Robbins…” he sounded serious, but his tone softened when he heard the crying baby in the background. “Is your daughter still sick?”

“She can’t shake this cough, no sir,” she said regretfully. And there was nothing they could do to comfort her. It was infuriating and heartbreaking when she just wanted her baby to get a moment’s peace. And she loved her daughter, she really did, but selfishly, some sleep for herself sounded nice too. “Did you need something, sir? I think we’re both about to leave…” And Tim had offered to come over and stay with Sofia to give a break to the intern Arizona had borrowed from Alex to keep eyes on Sofia during the day while she was in surgery.

“I need to see you and Dr. Torres both in my office whenever you get here, please,” he requested, prompting a frown on the other side of the phone.

“Yes, sir,” answered Arizona, confused. Callie came down the stairs in a rush, both hands busy with her earrings. “We’ll be there,” she said, hanging up the phone.

The expression on her wife’s face made Callie pause as she leaned over to check on Sofia, frowning at her. “Babe, what’s wrong?”

Arizona’s mouth worked up and down without words for a second. “I - uh - the Chief wants to see us in his office when we get to work.”

Callie picked up Sofia but her frown deepened. “Okay, did he say why? Have we even had any cases together lately?”

“No. And it’s not like we’ve done anything in the hospital that would get us in trouble,” Arizona tried to reason it out. Their sex life was more or less back on track (less again now that Sofia was sleeping less than ever) but nothing too scandalous had happened in the hospital for their Chief to chide them for.

“Well, it’s not like we’ve done anything wrong. We’ll just have to go talk to him and see what this is about,” Callie offered reassuringly, rocking her whimpering, miserable baby. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry you don’t feel good,” she said, kissing her forehead lightly.

Tim let himself in, calling a greeting as he shook the rain off his hair. “What’s up with her?” he asked when he saw his sister’s face, returning Callie’s kiss on the cheek.

“Oh, we just got called into the Chief’s office,” Callie answered him, looking over her shoulder at her wife, the blonde chewing on her lip and clearly anxious. “She’s letting it get to her even though we didn’t do anything wrong,” she called, trying to get her partner to stop obsessing.

Laughing, Tim shook his head as he took the baby. “Don’t hold your breath, Cal. She nearly had a heart attack the one time she ever got sent to the principal’s office in school.”

Callie’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. No way her Type-A, perfectionist wife had ever gotten sent to the office. “What did she do?!”

“I’m standing right here!” Arizona said from behind them, waving her arms for emphasis. “I can hear you!”

They both ignored her. “She punched a kid,” answered Tim with a laugh. Callie sent a stunned look over her shoulder, Arizona scrambling around the end of the couch to join them. “Not like she was bullying him or anything…” She’d hit a boy? Interesting… “He was picking on this girl in the grade below her and Arizona wouldn’t stand for it, would you, sis?” he teased, punching his sister lightly in the shoulder and smirking.

“That guy was a jerk!” she defended herself, shooting a look at him. “I seem to recall that you got involved too!”

Tim scoffed, unconsciously puffing out his chest. “Of course I did. I’m not letting some ass say the stuff he said to you!”

Blue eyes rolled. “He called me a lesbian…” He just shrugged broad shoulders, not seeing the relevance. “I am a lesbian…” she reminded him slowly, Callie biting back a smirk at the third point of their triangle

“Yeah, but it was the way he said it,” Tim said, shrugging again and bouncing Sofia. “Did someone at the hospital call you a lesbian in a mean way and you hit them?”

Arizona shook her head, eyes rolling again. “No. I mean, not that I know of. Calliope…?”

She put up both hands in defense, shaking her head as well. “Not me! I mean, I would totally go cage fighter on someone if they said something about you or Sof, but as far as I know it hasn’t happened.”

Tim was grinning widely, pleased with the protective display. “I’m sure no one would have the balls to say anything straight to you with a promise like that,” he commented, joking but not. And if anyone ever did say anything to either one of them, they wouldn’t be on their own on the ass-kicking front.

Laughing, Arizona used the front of Callie’s dark sweater to haul her in for a kiss. “First,” she said softly, “the cage fighter, protective thing? Super hot.” Her eyes shot toward her brother. “From her, not you. You’re just sweet.” Tim shrugged, satisfied. “Second, call us if she starts to sound worse or phlegm-y or anything.” He grimaced in sympathy and looked down at his niece, her eyes red from coughing and crying as she stared back up at him. Arizona leaned in to kiss her daughter’s cheeks, brushing her dark hair back gently. “I love you, munchkin. Feel better, baby girl,” she whispered to the infant, her heart aching at the inability to lessen her baby’s suffering.

Callie took her place, kissing the infant and speaking quietly to her, taking her bag from Arizona’s hand as she stepped back. “You two have a good day. And call us if…”

“I got it!” Tim said, shooing them. “Just watch! One day with her Uncle Tim’s going to knock this colic stuff out!” He waved from the doorway and waited until they were climbing into the car before he called after Arizona, “Let me know if you get detention and have to stay after work to write lines!”

Callie couldn’t hold back her snort of laughter fast enough and blue eyes narrowed at her, the blonde’s silence pointed. “Sorry,” the Latina apologized sheepishly, trying a grin. “He’s funny…” No response. “We haven’t done anything wrong, Arizona,” she reminded her, picking her hand up from the center console and kissing the back of it. “He just needs to talk to us. It’s going to be okay.”

In spite of her wife’s reassurances, Arizona was still nervous when she knocked on the Chief of Surgery’s door, turning the knob when he called for them to enter. Dr. Webber was reading over some documents at his desk and he looked up at them and gestured to the seats across the desk from him. “Dr. Robbins, Dr. Torres, please, sit.” He fidgeted with his reading glasses as they obeyed.

Callie had to coax her along with a hand in the small of her wife’s back but Arizona obediently sat down. Damn her authority issues that made her want to cry without even knowing why they’d been asked to come in. Of course, he’d been her Chief since she was a resident and he was quite familiar with her infrequent crying jags.

Having sympathy on her partner, Callie cleared her throat to break the silence. “Dr. Webber, is there something going on that we’re not aware of that would make you ask us both in?”

His brown eyes shifted to her. “Dr. Torres, are you familiar with a patient named Kelly Simpson?”

It had been two weeks since Kelly had come in with her broken wrist, but the cast was on the schedule to be removed today, so it wasn’t a difficult case to recall, even with nothing spectacular about it. “Yes, sir,” she said, frowning in confusion.

“And Dr. Robbins, you treated her as well, did you not?”

Arizona was frowning in confusion and glanced sideways at Callie. “Yes, sir. Dr. Karev did the procedure but I was overseeing. It was a textbook surgery, sir,” she said confidently. She had Alex’s back. That surgery had been flawless. “Were there complications?” Her eyes jumped back to Callie. “You treated her too? What for?”

“She broke her wrist playing two weeks ago. Her parents noted that she was in here a few weeks before that so I checked her incision but it looked fine. And I asked Alex to come by and double check on her. I was supposed to cast her up but that was the day Sofia had that really high fever. April Kepner did the cast, but she’s a fifth year, not an intern, Chief. She shouldn’t need an attending to double check her on a cast.”

He cleared his throat, shifting the papers and files on his desk restlessly. “Doctors, the reason I asked you to come in was not related to your patient’s care. Her recovery from surgery has been fine as far as her parents indicate. And she seems eager to have her cast removed today.” He paused, grimacing. It was clear that he didn’t want to say whatever he had to say next. “How much personal information did you share with the Simpsons during your treatment of their daughter?”

Frowning, they both looked at each other again in confusion. They were professionals. And sure, maybe they occasionally fooled around in an on-call room, and they didn’t hide who they were around the hospital, but they certainly didn’t chat about their lives with their patients.

“I don’t think I told them anything, sir,” Arizona started uncertainly, trying to think. She’d done the talking to cover for Alex’s post-surgery nerves, but she’d only talked about the operation. “Sofia,” she realized. “I had her because I was taking her back down to the nursery. Mrs. Simpson asked if she was my daughter. I think that was all either one of us said that wasn’t about the surgery.”

Callie spoke up, trying to mentally replay her encounter with the Simpsons, “I saw them initially and it was all business. When I came back after the x-rays were done I was only there for a few minutes before Kepner came in with Sofia from the daycare. They needed me to take her home because she was sick and they didn’t want the other kids to catch it.”

“And did any of this conversation involve Mrs. Simpson?” Dr. Webber pressed, Arizona’s eyes staying on Callie.

“No, sir,” she answered decisively. “I mean, we were a few feet away, I guess, but we weren’t talking to her. I was talking to Kepner, I told the Simpsons I had to leave, and I left.” She leaned forward in her chair, elbows on knees. “Sir, what’s this about?” Callie asked bluntly.

He sighed, clearly regretful, one hand rubbing over his smoothly shaved bald head. “Mrs. Simpson, at some point in your interactions with her, became aware of your status as a married couple and has requested that neither of you be part of the teams that might provide care to her daughter in the future.” He plainly didn’t want to say what he was saying, but a request from the patient was a powerful factor. He couldn’t just deny the bigoted woman. No matter how he felt about it personally.

Arizona’s mouth was open, eyes wide, but she didn’t let her shoulders slump under the frustrated despair she felt suddenly. No self-righteous asshole got to… She had to stop the thoughts, a squeak of protest escaping as she realized that tears were welling in her eyes.

The Chief stood up and rounded his desk to sit on the edge of it in front of them, his hands on his knees. “Doctor Robbins, Torres, I want to state for you both, unequivocally and without a single reservation, that you are two of our best surgeons and doctors and she is doing her daughter a disservice by making this request. Do you understand?” His eyes moved from Callie’s face to Arizona’s, both of them waiting for a reaction from her. Callie offered her hand across the gap between their chairs, the blonde taking it immediately and squeezing down hard.

“Thank you, sir,” Arizona choked out hoarsely, blinking furiously at her lap to keep the tears at bay. “I’m sorry if we caused you any trouble…”

“Dr. Robbins, I have no doubts about your professionalism,” he assured her, leaning over to catch her eyes. “I don’t ask that you hide who you are, and from what I can tell about the situation, it’s not as though you did anything that crossed a line. People are going to think whatever they want to think, no matter that she’s denying her daughter the best care for no reason at all.”

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, Arizona still trying to regain control of her emotions while Callie stewed quietly. People sucked. Especially people who judged other people on things that were none of their damn business. And most especially people who made her wife cry. “Dr. Webber, if that’s all…”

“Of course.” He stood up again. “Again, I’m sorry about this, doctors. It’s not about abilities, it’s blind prejudice…”

Callie nodded brusquely, standing up and coaxing Arizona to her feet. “Thank you for your sensitivity, sir. We appreciate it.” Without waiting to be dismissed further, she escorted her partner out.

Once they were out in the hall, Arizona seemed to recover from her dazed stupor quickly now that they were out from under the eyes of their Chief. The haze was replaced with frustration and anger. “How - what - Callie…”

The shortened version of her name told her exactly how upset her partner really was and she squeezed her hand. “Come on,” she said, pulling her along across the breezeway. The first on-call room they passed was thankfully empty and Arizona started pacing as soon as the door closed behind them. Callie took a minute to send a text to Karev asking him to take care of cutting off Kelly Simpson’s cast. It wasn’t her fault her mother was a bigoted shrew.

Stepping into her wife’s path got Arizona to stop walking, though she did let out a huff of frustration. “How are people so stupid?” she asked rhetorically.

“I don’t know, baby,” Callie answered her, both hands holding the blonde head still so she could kiss her forehead. “I’m so sorry.” Both of Arizona’s arms curled around her, her face leaning forward to rest against the brunette’s shoulder, and Callie sighed, kissing the top of her head. “I’m sorry…”

Shaking her head, Arizona squeezed her tighter. “No. You don’t apologize for her. She doesn’t know us. She doesn’t understand us. She doesn’t get to judge us.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Callie murmured her agreement. Fingers moved through blonde hair. “I love you and Sofia more than anything, more than I ever thought I would love anyone. And love like that, how I feel for you and you feel for me and how we feel for our daughter, anyone who doesn’t want that around them, I feel sorry for them,” she declared, her voice low. “Please don’t let that stupid woman upset you. You’re better than she is and she’s not worth it.”

Against the soft fabric of Callie’s top, Arizona couldn’t help smiling. Callie liked being a badass, but she really was a sweetheart. “Can we call Sofia?” she asked, voice small. “Tim could just hold the phone up to her ear or we could use that video thing to look at her…” She knew it was silly, but she just wanted to see their baby. Callie didn’t say anything, just dug her phone out of her pocket and hit the speed dial. 

Tim answered on the first ring, “Hey, how’d it go? You guys get busted for doing the dirty somewhere?”

“No, some homophobe doesn’t want us on her daughter’s case anymore,” Arizona answered him shortly. “Make the phone do the thing so we can see Sof,” she requested, resting comfortably against Callie and enjoying the feeling of her wife’s arm curled protectively over her shoulder.

Callie smiled over her head, amused by the blonde’s refusal to learn the names of apps on the phone. She swiped her finger over the screen and pushed the one to connect her phone to Timothy’s. He was already holding the camera over the sleeping baby and they both let out simultaneous cleansing breaths. Their little girl, their family, could never be wrong.

It took Callie a second to notice that the infant wasn’t crying. Her breathing was hoarse and rough, but she was asleep. “Tim, how did you do that?! She’s sleeping!”

He laughed, keeping it down to avoid disturbing the baby. “I told you. Uncle Tim’s got the mojo!” Even Arizona’s impressive skill with babies hadn’t been a match for their daughter’s colic thus far so he might be right about that.

“Oh my God, she’s so beautiful,” Arizona sighed, two fingers brushing across the curve of her little cheek as though she could actually touch her through the phone. “Thank you for keeping her for us today.”

Callie pressed her lips to blonde hair silently, rubbing her shoulders and trailing fingers up and down her back. Sofia was working her magic, even asleep, Arizona’s nerves easing and her body starting to relax. “Thank you, Tim,” she agreed quietly.

“Sure thing,” he replied. “Anything you guys need.”

Arizona didn’t say anything and Callie kissed her temple. “We might be calling you after lunch, but we’ll see how it goes.” She didn’t know how this news first thing in the morning would affect their day. Bonus time with the baby, even over the phone, would be welcome though.

“Bye, brother. That was what I needed but we’ve got to go to work. Thank you.” Hanging up, Arizona took a deep breath, turning her head against Callie’s shoulder so she could hear her heart beating. “I hate that people like that can get to me…”

“Then don’t let her. It doesn’t affect us. We don’t have to do anything differently because of her,” Callie reminded her. “She’s the one who is going to go through her life hating, or fearing, or judging, or whatever the hell she thinks about us for the rest of her life. And that sounds miserable to me.” Callie kissed the side of her head again, nose nuzzling into her hair while her lips nudged the blonde’s ear. “But we get to be so, so happy, and ridiculously in love with each other and with our adorable, perfect little girl.”

Taking a shaky breath, Arizona leaned into her completely. Callie would never let her fall. “You like being a hardcore badass, Calliope, but really you have the biggest heart. You - you have the biggest heart of anybody… And I love that about you. I love everything about you.”

Callie’s hand on the back of her neck coaxed her head up to meet her lips for a soft, slow, gentle kiss. Straightening up gave Arizona more contact between their mouths, let her slip both arms over the Latina’s shoulders, press her body against her wife’s warm curves from chest to knees. The hand on her neck slid up, fingers into her hair to grip and tease while she let her bottom lip drop, Callie sucking on it lightly the way she loved. Nothing mattered but her. Them, together, and their family. Some idiot could never diminish that, diminish them.

They kept their foreheads together as they slowly separated, Arizona looking up to catch brown eyes. “Can I walk you to Peds?” Callie asked in a whisper, feeling like nothing so much as a kid in school asking to carry the pretty girl’s books to class for her. But it was a feeling she loved. She would’ve totally carried Arizona’s books to class if they’d met in school. The thought made her laugh and Arizona smiled at her.

“What’s funny, gorgeous?” she asked, stepping back and taking her hand to leave the on-call room and holding it as they walked down the hall.

“I was just thinking that if we had ever been in school together, I would have totally been the geeky kid asking to carry your books to class for you,” Callie confessed, bumping her shoulder with a smile.

Laughing, blonde eyebrows rose. “And in this scenario what am I?”

“You’re the school hot girl, of course,” Callie answered her, making it clear that it should have been obvious.

“I was the school hot girl,” agreed Arizona with a chuckle. “But no one as pretty as you ever offered to carry my books.” She pulled down on Callie’s hand at the same time she rose on her toes to deliver a tanned cheek to her for a kiss.

Exchanging almost shy glances, the walk felt entirely too short, but Callie reluctantly let her hand go when they reached the double doors of Peds. “So, lunch?” she asked, scuffing her sneaker along the floor and tucking her hands in the pockets of her coat.

“Absolutely,” Arizona agreed with her usual perky smile. Calliope Torres was amazing. That was all there was to it. “I love you.”

The smile she got in response was dazzling, sending the same flutter through her heart as it had four years earlier when she’d first seen it over drinks at the bar. They’d come so far since then. And she wouldn’t trade a single second of it.

“I love you too.”


	3. Chapter 3

“How is it possible that you’re this nervous?” Teddy asked with a laugh as she adjusted her hair. “It’s not even your wedding,” she reminded her friend. “You’re already married.”

“How is it possible you’re not nervous?” countered Arizona. “It’s stressing me out that you’re so calm,” she snapped, pacing.

“Is it separation anxiety?” the heart surgeon guessed instead, grinning in the mirror at her soon-to-be sister-in-law. “Being away from the baby?”

Arizona scoffed, eyes rolling. “They’re down the hall. I can be away from them for an hour or two.” She grinned abruptly. “Callie got a new dress. She’s surprising me with it later!”

“I know. I’ve seen it. It’s hot,” Teddy informed her smugly, smirking when Arizona gaped at her. “It’s my wedding! I get to do whatever I want! And she’s in the wedding. I helped pick it out.”

Considering that, Arizona nodded. “As long as the dress is all you peeked on, that’s okay, I guess,” she declared.

Teddy shot her a wink, shaking her head at her best friend. “I’m much more interested in peeking on your brother than your wife, Arizona.”

The blonde groaned loudly, nose wrinkling. “Gross!”

“You deserved it,” Teddy stated with a shrug, still picking at the long curls in her hair. “Me peeking at Callie? Really?”

Biting her lip, Arizona shrugged sheepishly. “Sorry, sorry,” she sighed. “You not freaking out is really messing with my head.” Teddy turned from the mirror and Arizona stepped over the train of her dress as it moved with her. “You’re really ready for this?”

Teddy just smiled. “Weren’t you? Walking down the aisle to Callie?”

“Oh yeah,” she sighed happily, knowing that her grin was goofy as hell, but not caring. “Okay, then let’s do this!” Peeking into the hall to make sure the coast was clear found Callie doing the same thing down the hall and Arizona grinned, pulling the door closed behind her. “Hey, babe! How’s it going on your end?” While she was standing up with Teddy, Callie was standing up with Tim.

Callie came into the hall for Arizona’s first view of her new dress and the blonde whistled appreciatively, waving her hand and trying to get a spin. Callie blushed but complied, getting a whoop from her wife. “Okay, enough of that,” the brunette said. “Tim’s doing better than I was. Very calm and cool.”

“Teddy’s the same way! She’s giving me a hard time for being more nervous than she is!” Arizona replied, not really believing that the other couple was holding it together better than they had. “How’s our angel?” she asked eagerly.

“Sleeping. Your mom came and got her a little while ago,” Callie told her, smiling. Their family was perfect. “Is Teddy ready to go?”

Tim joined them in the hall suddenly, fiddling with his collar. “Hey sis, can you…?”

“You know how to do this,” Arizona reminded him, fixing the top few buttons of his uniform’s jacket and giving him an affectionate smile. “There you go,” she declared, patting his chest. “You ready to get out there?”

His Robbins grin made the answer clear and Callie smiled as she saw the siblings’ matching dimples. “You’re up, then us, then Teddy, right?”

“You got it,” he confirmed, offering an arm to each of them. Arizona knocked on Teddy’s door as she took it and they started outside.

Tim had just reached the front of the aisle when Teddy came out behind them, staying out of sight. “You ready?” Arizona asked again with a grin, handing her friend the bouquet.

“You just don’t trip, Robbins. We’re here to make me look good,” Teddy returned, the three women laughing.

“I won’t let her trip,” Callie promised, tucking her arm through Arizona’s. “You look beautiful, Teddy. We’ll see you on the other side.”

Reaching the front of the aisle they split off to their places in the front of the crowd, Barbara already wiping tears from her eyes, Sofia asleep in her arms. There was a carrier next to her chair, but she was still holding the baby.

Teddy’s entrance got a gasp from the groom and Arizona grinned across the platform at her own wife, getting an answering, knowing smile in return. Arizona was just as stunning as she’d been at their own wedding. And more beautiful now than she had been then, if it was possible.

During the vows Callie couldn’t help sneaking glances at Arizona, the woman she’d exchanged the same promises with that Tim and Teddy were making. Catching her wife’s eyes just as Tim was finishing his vows, Callie saw her mouth ‘I do’ as her brother said it aloud. And when Teddy reached the end of her own vows, Callie silently echoed Arizona’s gesture, mouthing the words back to her. She would happily trade vows with Arizona Robbins every single day for the rest of her life.

They were the first ones cheering when the officiant announced “Mr. and Mrs. Timothy and Theodora Robbins, Arizona clapping and whooping as they walked down the aisle and she and Callie met in the middle to follow them out. Arizona turned her head to look at her wife when she caught a kiss on the cheek, Callie smiling as she took her arm. “What was that for?” asked Arizona curiously, her voice soft.

“I just love you,” Callie answered, winking as she had to prompt Arizona to walk, using her arm to give her partner a gentle push. “They said to kiss your bride.”

“Ooh, very smooth,” complemented the blonde with a laugh, smiling as her mother waved Sofia’s hand at them. “My mom’s crying,” she noted, whispering.

“She’s happy,” Callie reminded her. “Both of her kids are married to really awesome people and she’s got her first grandkid sitting in her lap. She’s got lots of reasons to be happy.”

“Yeah, she does,” Arizona agreed. “Tim did do pretty good. I love Teddy, but my wife is totally more awesome than his.”

The brunette bumped her in the side with an elbow as they walked. “It’s not a competition, baby,” Callie said with a laugh. “You might be a little biased because I sleep with you.”

“You’re hotter than Teddy,” Arizona stated without missing a beat, shrugging nonchalantly.

“Arizona!” Callie rebuked her, her head shaking.

“What? Teddy’s my best friend and she’s a beautiful woman. She’s so happy she’s glowing today,” Arizona explained, the two wandering toward where they would meet the photographer. “But she doesn’t set me on fire, Calliope. That’s just you.”

Callie arched an expressive eyebrow and her smile grew slowly. “I set you on fire?”

“Since the first second I saw you in Joe’s,” Arizona confirmed with a decisive nod. “I saw you and I had to talk to you. I knew I wasn’t going to have a good night if I didn’t talk to you.” She licked her lips. “Like I wasn’t going to have a good night ever again if I didn’t talk to you.”

Pulling her to a stop, Callie tugged her partner into her arms to look into her eyes. “Sweetheart,” she breathed. This woman would never stop surprising her with the depths of her love. “You would have had a good night…” The blonde scoffed in denial. “We would have met the next morning, remember?”

“Not meeting you would have ruined my night,” Arizona insisted lightly, smirk making her expression adorable. “Besides, knowing how good I am in bed is half the reason you asked me out that morning, right?”

It was Callie’s turn to scoff, rolling her eyes. “Arizona Robbins, you know exactly why I asked you out that morning and it wasn’t because of how spectacularly you rocked my world the night before.”

“It was because you were fleeing your first marriage and I am hot,” Arizona teased, laughing loudly when that earned her a sharp swat on the ass from her wife.

“It was because you are the most incredible, amazing, beautiful, awesome person I have ever met or will ever meet and I knew it about five minutes after you sat down next to me that night,” Callie told her. “Do you know how long it’s been since I even thought about George?” she asked with a sigh. “I can’t go more than a few minutes without thinking about you and that’s how I like it.”

Arizona grinned, chewing on her lip. “You’re a sweet talker, you know that?”

“I picked that up from my wife,” Callie told her smugly, hands gripping her hips and squeezing lightly. “I love you, Arizona. Forever.”

A blush colored the blonde’s cheeks suddenly, Arizona dropping her face into her wife’s shoulder and nuzzling into her neck. “Sweet talker,” she repeated, voice quiet and soft. “Weddings make you all mushy. I like it.” She pecked her neck lightly, hands roaming up and down her partner’s back, across satin and skin. “Should we go to more weddings? I like all the sweet stuff you say.”

Callie turned to kiss the top of her head. “How about I’ll just say more sweet stuff to you when we’re at home on the couch in our pajamas snuggling with our little girl?” she suggested a much more comfortable alternative, smiling when Arizona nodded without hesitation.

“That’s better.”

“I thought so,” Callie hummed. “You know I really do love you more than anything…”

“Calliope, of course I know that,” Arizona cut her off before she could finish it. “I know that better than I know anything else. And as much as I’m loving the wedding mushiness and the snuggling and the touching,” she stroked the angle of her wife’s shoulder blade through soft skin, “we’re supposed to meet Tim and Teddy and the photographer for all the pictures.”

Even as she said it, the Colonel cleared his throat behind her, Arizona just turning under Callie’s arm and leaning comfortably into her as she smiled at her parents. “Fourteen hundred, pictures,” he reminded them, a small smile curling his mouth despite his typical stern demeanor. His children, and Arizona in particular, were his weakness. His severity just cracked around his daughter.

“Thanks, Dad,” Arizona confirmed, in no hurry to leave Callie’s comfortable embrace. “Mom, you okay?” she checked sweetly, her mother rocking Sofia and wiping her face with her other hand. “Should we take her? Do you need a minute?”

Barbara just swung her granddaughter from side to side, shaking her head. “Happy tears, baby. You and your brother, I’m just so proud of you both and I love you both so much…” Callie smiled over her wife’s head, fingers stroking across the top of her arm. “And Callie, of course, we love you and Teddy too. Our kids chose well,” she declared, leaning into her own spouse’s side.

Arizona smiled up at Callie, her wife hugging her closer. They all turned when Tim whistled sharply from down the hill. “Hey, what’s the holdup?” he called, waving. “Let’s get these done so we can eat!”

“Yeah, because that’s what he’s looking forward to,” Arizona muttered, smirking as they started down the grass to join the newlyweds.

Bumping her with an elbow, Callie sent her a look. “I seem to remember you were pretty hungry at our wedding reception, babe.”

“Um, that doesn’t mean I wanted cake more than I wanted to get you out of that wedding dress,” Arizona said incredulously, smirking.

They dropped the teasing, playful discussion once in hearing range of the rest of the family, Arizona reclaiming their daughter from her mother. Being a small group, the pictures didn’t take long, thankfully before Sofia got hungry or fussy. And the baby didn’t mind getting lots of attention at the reception, content with being passed around among her mothers’ coworkers while her parents took the chance to have a meal with no interruptions.

Sofia was across the room charming the pants off a group of nurses and Arizona looked up in surprise when Callie stood up. “Where you going, babe? Sof’s good.”

“I know that,” Callie said, smiling and reaching for her hand. “I want to dance with you.”

A pleased smile graced her expression and Arizona stood up. “Oh. Okay.”

“Maybe say more sweet things,” Callie teased as they walked onto the dance floor and Arizona looped her arms over her shoulders.

“That could be fun,” the blonde agreed, laughing. Tim and Teddy spun past them, both laughing their heads off at something. “I’m glad they’re happy.”

Callie turned her head to watch them, agreeing. Turning her face back toward Arizona, she was surprised but not displeased by the kiss that met her. Arizona pulled lightly on her lip before she withdrew, humming in satisfaction. “What was that for?”

“I’m happy too,” said Arizona quietly, resting her head on her wife’s shoulder.

“Well, I’m glad Tim and Teddy are happy, but I’m even more glad you’re happy,” Callie said, winking. “I’m on a roll with the sweet stuff today!”

Arizona threw her head back to laugh, whooping when Callie suddenly dipped her, kisses laying a path down her neck and dangerously close to the swooping neckline of her bridesmaid dress. Her hands clung to her wife’s shoulder and she was breathless as Callie brought her back up. “You think you’re so smooth, don’t you?” asked Arizona teasingly. They both knew she was joking.

“I think I’ve got to be to keep the attention of the most gorgeous woman here, no offense to the bride, of course,” Callie replied smoothly, smirk pleased and proud.

Arizona mimed applause and gave her a little bow. “I think I can say with complete confidence that you’ll be the one getting me out of this dress tonight, Calliope.”

Callie grinned, kissing her quickly. “I’m looking forward to that.”

A clearing throat drew their attention to where the Colonel stood waiting. “May I cut in?”

Callie handed her wife over with a smile and looked around for her other favorite girl, finding Sofia being danced around with the Grey sisters and a reluctant looking Cristina Yang.

“She’s so sweet, Callie!” gushed Lexie as Callie joined them, smiling at her little girl. “I don’t know how you stand it!” Callie had to agree silently. She didn’t know how she stood it either, having a baby with the love of her life. She didn’t really understand how anyone in her situation could stand being so happy.

Cristina spoke up abruptly, typically blunt, “I want to be her godmother.”

Callie laughed without meaning to, sure it was a joke. “What, really?” she asked when Cristina’s expression didn’t change. “Why? You hate babies.”

“I do not hate babies,” Cristina said flatly. “I just don’t want any. It’s a thing.”

Callie almost rolled her eyes. “Okay. But why do you want to be her godmother then? You know what a godmother does, right?”

“Because,” Cristina explained with a sigh, “if you and Roller-girl died in a plane crash, don’t you want to know that she has a surgeon to raise her?” Callie just arched an eyebrow doubtfully. “An exceptional Cardio surgeon,” she added as if that sweetened the offer.

“Yang, Teddy is her godmother,” said Callie slowly, Lexie passing Sofia to her sister as they both laughed. “So she already has an exceptional Cardio surgeon to raise her if something happens to me and Arizona. Thank you for the offer, though?”

The other woman just scoffed, leaning over to look at the baby in her best friend’s arms. “You know I’m a better surgeon than Teddy! And Teddy’s her aunt! It’s not fair that she has both titles! You and Robbins are playing favorites!”

“Hey!” They all turned at Teddy’s exclamation, the bride glaring at her protégé. “What did you just say?!”

Callie and the Grey sisters all watched raptly, quiet, and four pairs of eyes bounced between the two women, Tim wisely taking a step back behind Callie, long arms reaching over her shoulder to take Sofia from Meredith. He just shrugged when Callie shot him a look. “What?” he whispered, holding the baby in front of his face. “If this blows up, I want her for cover.”

Brown eyes narrowed and she kicked his shin sharply, Tim hissing suddenly between clenched teeth. “What kind of uncle are you? Using your infant niece as a human shield from your wife?” She kicked him again before he could dodge. “And in your Marine uniform! Wait until the Colonel sees you!” Tim swiftly handed the baby over to her, one hand rubbing the top of Sofia’s head, smiling when it got him a soft sigh and sleepy blink. “She’s so tired. All the excitement…” Callie smiled at him, the expression soft. “You still doing good?”

He grinned, looking at the bickering going on between his new bride and her student. “Awesome.” He slung one arm around her shoulders. “I can totally see why you did this years ago.”

Callie laughed, her eyes finding her own wife across the room with her parents. “Well, when you know, why wait?”

“You know, for two relationships that more or less started with sex, we got pretty damn lucky,” Tim observed.

“Language,” she hissed at him, covering one of Sofia’s ear protectively. “But you’re right. We’re lucky.”

Tim bumped her with an elbow, charming grin firmly in place. “But, hey, they’re lucky too! Me and you are catches!”

Rolling her eyes, Callie smirked. “Um, I was married and lied about it, and you had two barely working legs when they met us. I think we’re the lucky ones,” she countered, teasing lightly.

Shrugging, Tim squeezed her shoulders affectionately. “We pulled it out though, married ‘em.”

“We pretty much had to, right? After they stuck out that crap with us?”

It was his turn to give her a gentle knock. “And we love them. At least I love mine.” It was obviously a joke. Anyone who saw them together could see how much his sister and her wife loved each other. 

Callie caught Arizona’s gaze, blue eyes shooting her a wink across the space between them.

Watching the exchange, Tim cleared his throat. “You’re still as nuts about her as when you married her, aren’t you?” he asked, sounding almost curious, but not surprised.

“Yeah,” answered Callie simply. “More even.”

“How do you two do that? Because she’s the same way about you.”

Callie looked up at him, then toward where Teddy and Cristina were still bickering. “I don’t know. She’s just… everyday I get with her, I think I can’t possibly love her more, but then she says something, or does something, or just looks at me that way she does, and it happens.” Her gaze dropped to her daughter’s face, Sofia’s eyes falling closed and then shooting open again as she struggled against sleep, the baby whimpering into her chest. “She’s not perfect, and I’m not perfect, but together - we’re pretty damn close, I think.”

“Language,” Tim reminded her fondly, chuckling.

Sofia’s cries got louder as she fought harder against sleep and it was a summons for her mother, Arizona moving through the crowds toward them. “She hates missing bedtime,” Callie told him under her breath, smiling lovingly down at her daughter. “It’s adorable.” She’d loved Arizona before they’d become parents, loved her more than anything or anyone, but seeing Arizona become a mother had opened her up to so much more love, not only for their daughter, but for her wife. It was incredible.

Tim moved to separate the two heart surgeons after a last squeeze of her shoulder, passing his sister as she joined her wife and daughter. “She’s tired.” Arizona reached in to rub her baby’s stomach as she drew another breath to scream.

“We’ve got her pajamas in the diaper bag,” Callie said. “And the fountain outside is lit up. She’d like that.” She couldn’t help smirking when she noticed the diaper bag already in Arizona’s hand. “Maybe I was wrong, what I said to Tim…” she mused, the two of them moving toward the door as Sofia got louder.

“Wrong about what?” Arizona asked, holding the door for them.

“I think you just might be perfect.”

Arizona laughed, a loud bark of laughter that made even Sofia stop crying for a moment. “Me? I’m not perfect, Calliope. You and me, that’s what’s perfect.”


	4. Chapter 4

Arizona was ten pages into the information packet on the Pediatric conference Richard wanted her to attend this weekend but she was distracted by indecision. It would mean a free trip to L.A. and she’d get to see Addison, but it would also mean most of three days away from Callie and Sofia, which she wasn’t eager about.

“Oh my God, Arizona, come here quick!” Callie called suddenly from across the hall.

Quick as a shot she was out of the den they’d finally cleaned out and turned into an office and in the living room, almost tripping over Callie stretched out on her stomach on the floor. Sofia was laying in front of her in the same position, flat on her tummy with her upper body leaning up on her elbows. It was perfectly adorable, mother and daughter mirroring each other in the middle of the living room floor.

“What?! What’s wrong?” Arizona questioned, hopping over Callie to avoid kicking her in her haste. Then she heard exactly why Callie had called her. “Oh my God, did she just laugh?”

“Yes!” Callie rejoiced, Arizona immediately joining her on the floor. “Mama’s silly, isn’t she, big girl?” she asked, making a face to draw another giggle from the baby. Clearly she was going to take to laughing the way she’d taken to smiling.

“That’s the cutest thing in the world!” declared Arizona with a happy sigh. She was completely in love with her family. “Calliope…”

“I know,” Callie agreed, leaning her head sideways against her wife’s shoulder. A tickle from Arizona got them another laugh and a wriggle, little footy pajamas kicking against the rug.

They were in the same spot when Alex came in, neither of the women having noticed the passage of time, entirely entranced by their daughter. “What’s so great on the floor?” Alex asked, walking up and looking straight down at the tops of their heads. He was just there to pick up a file from Arizona, taking over her cases for the weekend while she was gone.

Arizona leaned back to look up at him, grinning. “Check it out!” She made a face at Sofia and was rewarded with a gleeful giggle.

“Dude, she’s laughing! Cool!”

“Laugh for Uncle Alex!” Callie coaxed, pointing one hand up. Sofia tried to follow her mother’s hand but only succeeded in rolling onto her back. From there she could see him though, and she promptly grinned and laughed up at him.

“And now she’s rolling! Look at you, Sofia!” Arizona praised happily, one hand covering her mouth, feeling near tears. Her baby was definitely the best. Callie curled her nearer arm through Arizona’s knowingly, pulling her over to press a kiss to her face.

Alex flopped down on the couch and Sofia rocked back and forth in a few practice turns before she managed to flip herself back onto her stomach to the excited shrieks of her mothers. Karev leaned over when little hands hit the top of his shoe, Sofia trying to pull herself up on his pants leg. “She wants me?” He sounded confused but picked her up and settled her onto his knee, bouncing her lightly and prompting another laugh. “Dude, I’m your daughter’s inspiration!” he declared, making Arizona freeze where she was hurriedly standing up so she could get the camera.

“Excuse me?” she questioned him coolly while Callie laughed on the floor.

A sharp blue-eyed look made her try and stop laughing, even if it was less than effective. “She does like him, babe. She rolled to him!”

Arizona couldn’t argue with that, and Sofia could have a much worse male role model than Karev… They’d just have to pray he’d settled down by the time their daughter was old enough to ask questions. But Sofia looked so happy bouncing on his knee, her little body leaning back into his hand with all the faith in the world. “Okay, fine, she likes you,” she acknowledged, snapping a picture of the two of them. “But let’s see how you do at calming her down. It’s somebody’s bedtime!” she said, lightly pinching the toe of her little pjs and wiggling her foot.

Callie was still stretched out on the floor and Arizona sat back down, laying back so her head was resting against Callie’s side. Alex tried, but Sofia seemed content to wiggle and giggle while the young man tried to find the trick to tiring her out. Finally he surrendered, leaning forward to offer the baby with both hands. “Boss…”

Taking her, Arizona swooped and snuggled her in close, Sofia’s head coming to rest next to her own against Callie. “I know you love your Uncle Alex, sweet pea, but it’s time to go to bed.” She yawned for emphasis and the baby echoed her. “That’s right. Sleepy time,” she coaxed, smirking at her protégé when Sofia blinked increasingly heavy eyes at her after only a few minutes.

Callie just smiled down at the top of her wife’s blonde head. “Don’t be smug, baby whisperer. Just get her in bed before she passes out on the floor.” She leaned over to kiss the sweet little face. “I love you, Sofia. Sleep well, baby.”

She found Arizona in their bathroom when she went upstairs, the blonde double checking her packing. She seemed reluctant though, halfhearted. Callie didn’t say anything, just watched her in the mirror. Pushing her wife to speak wouldn’t get results. Fortunately, after so long together it didn’t take Arizona as long to open up anymore. “Our baby’s incredible, you know?”  
“I do,” Callie agreed warmly. “But why are you saying that like it’s a bad thing?”

Sighing, Arizona’s shoulders slumped. “Because I’m going to be gone for three days and she laughed and started rolling today. By Monday she could talk! And I wouldn’t be here for it! I don’t want to miss my baby girl’s first word. Which will totally be ‘mama’, by the way.”

Callie’s eyes rolled and a smile graced her full lips, a quiet chuckle escaping before she could stop it. Arizona’s shoulders fell further at the perception that her fears were being mocked. “Arizona Robbins, you are the best mama in the world to that little girl and she loves you more than anything!” Callie reminded her in no uncertain terms. “And it is unbelievably adorable that you don’t want to miss one day but I promise you that she will not be speaking before you get back.”

“It’s two days, almost three,” Arizona corrected her, their eyes meeting in the mirror.

“And our daughter is very gifted, but I don’t think she’s going to knock walking or talking off her list in one weekend. Give her some time to get used to rolling. Rolling is a big step, you know?” she said, teasing lightly. She moved off the wall slowly, slipping both hands across her wife’s hips and guiding her back against herself. “If you want, I can keep her away from Alex just in case.” That earned her a slap to the hand and a dimpled smile.

“You think I’m being silly, don’t you?” She sounded sheepish as she asked.

Callie shook her head, turning her face in to peck at a white neck. “I think you’re being a mother. And I think it’s amazing.” She nuzzled in, resting her chin on her wife’s shoulder. “We’ll talk every day. Probably once every hour if I know you,” Arizona nodded silent agreement, still smiling, “And we have the thing so you can see her on the phone. And I will take a bunch of pictures. You’re not going to miss anything. I promise.”

Arizona smiled into the mirror at her. “Yeah?” she pushed for reassurance. She wasn’t a vain person - she knew she was hot, of course, but she wasn’t vain about it - but they were gorgeous together. Of course, Callie could make anyone look good simply by the natural, unconscious beauty that she resonated. It made everyone around her beautiful too.

“Of course,” Callie whispered, drawing her back from her musings. “We’re both going to miss you.” She wasn’t looking forward to an empty house and an empty bed during her wife’s absence, but she was going to hate not seeing Sofia light up for Arizona the way she lit up for no one else. Their little girl adored her Mama.

“Show me?” requested Arizona softly, something Callie was never going to deny.

Wordlessly, they went to their bed, sliding under the covers and cuddling close. “Was this what you meant?” Callie’s breath tickled the back of her ear and made her hair move.

“This is perfect,” she answered, snuggling backwards into her arms, feeling Callie curl a leg over her own. A hand palmed her stomach, fingers drawing circles on her shirt. She couldn’t help smiling when it slid underneath to reach for skin.

Warm lips kissed behind her ear and the hand under her shirt roamed upwards. “And if I want to make love to you?”

Arizona leaned backwards into her, swallowing before she spoke. “Calliope…” a soft sigh, “Yes.”

It was all she needed to say, Callie moving herself so that Arizona was delivered onto her back, the Latina stretched out alongside her. Kisses scattered across her face, finding forehead and brows and eyelids and cheeks and dimples before they touched her lips, Arizona whimpering at the first light contact. “I’m going to miss you,” Callie whispered, kissing her again but still with no hurry. She was going to take her time and show her wife exactly how much she’d be missed.

While they kissed, her hand slid up and pulled the hem of Arizona’s thin t-shirt up with it. “Calliope…” the blonde gasped her name when the touch reached her breast, palming it and squeezing lightly, the way Callie knew she loved. Her lover was an expert at working her up, making her crazy. Clearly she was in for it tonight.

“This would be easier if you would take your shirt off,” Callie coaxed even as she kissed down her neck, sucking on the skin between her collarbones.

“You’re going to give me a hickey to take to L.A., aren’t you?” asked Arizona with a laugh, her head falling back against the pillows while she let Callie do what she would with her body. She would be reaping the benefits anyway.

Callie smirked against her skin, swiping her tongue across the mark before she lifted her head to display the smirk to her. “Something to remember me by.”

Moaning again as Callie went back to kissing across her chest, Arizona couldn’t help jerking against her, traitorous fingers winding into dark hair. It had grown out again while Callie was pregnant so that it was longer now than ever. “I do wear your ring, Calliope,” she reminded her. And she wore her heart necklace, and they had a daughter together that she could hardly shut up about. No one in Los Angeles would have any reason to doubt that she was happily spoken for.

“This is less subtle,” Callie declared, lifting her head again to survey her handiwork with a pleased smile.

It won her a laugh from the woman spread beside her. “Less subtle than my wedding ring?”

Callie nodded. “More… in their faces,” she decided. “Are you going to take your shirt off, or should I just work around it?” For emphasis, she rolled her thumb across the nearer nipple and dropped her head to mouth the other through the shirt. “Because I can…”

Arizona was sitting up in a heartbeat, ripping the tank top over her head and falling back to the mattress. She was still wearing pants and underwear, but Callie didn’t seem in a rush to remove them yet. Instead, she was taking immediate advantage of the freshly bared skin, recapturing the nipple she’d just teased into a hard, hot peak. “Calliope…”

She didn’t answer, too busy worshipping her to speak. The kisses continued between her breasts to give the other some attention before she trailed her lips down her lover’s tight stomach, Arizona already lifting her hips in a silent plea. Callie didn’t make her wait - taking her time and dawdling were two different things. And if she took too long, Sofia was sure to make her regret it. She did take the time to track kisses down each of Arizona’s perfect legs, kissing on alternating sides as she followed the fabric down her limbs.

On the way back up she moved more quickly, hearing her lover’s heavy, fast breathing above her, another gasping groan of her name drawing her in. One finger slid home while she attended to Arizona’s clit with her mouth. A plea for more and she added another finger on her next stoke, keeping the pace deep but slow. She wanted this to be on her mind for at least the next three days. One of those perfect legs curled over her shoulder and she ran her free hand down the outside of her thigh.

Arizona was fighting to catch her breath, had given up entirely on trying to keep her eyes open. She wanted that image burned into her brain, of Callie between her legs, but it was impossible to hold her eyes open. It was hard enough to breathe. “Calliope…” She only dimly realized that she was chanting it with each new breath she managed to draw. Fingers curled inside her and the perfect amount of suction was given to her throbbing, aching clit. “Love you, please, Calliope, I love you, please,” she panted, needing to come. “Please, please, please!”

Fingers withdrew but were replaced with her lover’s tongue before she could get the breath to protest, Callie immediately curling the muscle to hit the spot that would finish her off. Arizona had to muffle a scream with a pillow, dragging it over her face with the hand that wasn’t gripping and releasing Callie’s hair in waves as she rode out her pleasure.

Callie slipped out as she came down, licking her lips smugly as she cleaned her up and flopped down beside her again, pulling the pillow off of her face so she could catch fresh air. “Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you,” Arizona chattered, her sweating, trembling body curling into Callie, head on her shoulder, arm around her waist, leg curled over her knees, while Callie wrapped an arm around her back. The hand at her waist picked at her shirt. “You’re still wearing clothes,” she observed dumbly, still hazy and twitching. It didn’t seem right that Callie was still clothed when she’d just had such an incredible orgasm, but she was too far out of it to put the pieces together on what she should do about it.

Callie chuckled and it was one of the single most sexy sounds she’d ever heard. “Yeah, I guess I am,” the brunette agreed, kissing the top of her head before her free hand found her wife’s chin and tilted her face up for a soft kiss on the lips, both of them breathless. 

Callie’s laugh as they parted made Arizona’s stomach clenched involuntarily, her body still caught up in its reaction. “You’re going to miss me a lot, huh? I mean, that was… Calliope…” She cuddled in closer against her side, needing the proximity after their intimacy.

“I’m going to miss you a lot,” Callie agreed, content to hold Arizona like this for the rest of the night. Soon enough she would have to leave. But L.A. wasn’t Africa. And they’d talk and she’d be home in no time. But for tonight, she could hold her and she intended to.

Neither one of them remembered falling asleep, but Sofia’s waking up cries woke them both. At five months old she was getting better about sleeping nearly the whole night through, waking them only an hour before the alarm would have. Callie started to sit up, but Arizona stopped her with gentle hands on her chest. “Let me,” she requested, wanting to steal a moment with her daughter before she had to leave.

Sitting up against the headboard, Callie watched her scramble around their room and collect her clothes, throwing them in the hamper and pulling her favorite old USMC shirt on over her underwear, forgoing pants for the moment. She looked incredible. And adorable was the word when she came back with Sofia, the still sleepy little one blinking at her parents while they cuddled her in between themselves in the big bed.

“It would completely ruin everything if I let her sleep in here while you’re gone, wouldn’t it?” Callie asked, brushing wispy brown hair back from the baby’s face.

Arizona smiled down at her, her own fingers tracing through Callie’s hair. “Better her than anyone else,” she teased lightly, smirking at the eye roll that earned her. “It would make her going back to her own room more tricky though,” she conceded. “But if that’s what you need, we can deal.”

Sighing, Callie shook her head. “I’ll try and cope without messing up our daughter’s routine.”

They got a few minutes of quiet snuggling before Sofia fully woke up and promptly demonstrated her newest talent, rolling over toward Callie’s chest. She laughed when her mother wrapped an arm around her, pleased with her success.

Unexpectedly, Arizona flopped her head down into the pillows and grumbled audibly. “It is so not fair that I have to leave! I’m going to miss all the cute stuff she does!”

Callie smiled, kissing the top of Sofia’s head. “Mama’s going to miss you, baby girl,” she whispered to her, Sofia’s eyes jumping straight to Arizona.

Pressed against her other mother as she was, she had a hard time getting started but Callie gave her a gentle push and she rolled the other way so she was pressed against Arizona’s side, laughing happily when she succeeded. The blonde picked her head up and smiled down at her daughter’s sweet, perfect face. “I am going to miss you,” she agreed. “And I’m not saying you should be grumpy for Mami, but maybe just try not to be so cute all the time, okay? Save some of it for me.”

She fed the baby while Callie was in the shower, Callie keeping her while Arizona took her own shower and got her bag together. It was weird to be driving her to the airport again and Callie lingered at Arizona’s gate with Sofia on her hip. “Call me when you get there?” she requested as the blonde shifted her bag’s strap on her shoulder

“Of course.” Arizona took a swift kiss.

“Tell Addison we said hey. And at least try and go out and have a good time,” Callie said, handing their daughter over to her so Arizona could scatter kisses across her cheeks.

“I love you, Sofia,” she whispered. “Mama loves you. And I’m going to miss you so much.” She leaned in for another kiss, breathing in the baby smell that she loved. Callie slid up beside her, curling an arm behind the baby’s back and kissing the side of her head. “I love you too,” she added softly, able to feel Callie’s lips curl in a smile against her face as she echoed the statement.

Arizona’s flight was boarding and there was no more time, the blonde having to get through security if she was going to make her plane. One more kiss to each of them and she turned to go. Sofia watched quietly, though the further away Arizona got, her lip started to tremble. Whimpering drew Callie’s attention and she rocked her, trying to comfort the baby. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Mama’s going to be back before you know it, I promise.” The words didn’t succeed in reassuring her and Sofia gathered a shaky breath to scream in protest as she realized that her mama wasn’t coming back immediately.


	5. Chapter 5

Addison Montgomery had lost count of the number of people, both men and women, who had walked away from Arizona Robbins tonight. When they’d lived together in med school her roommate was flirty and fun. Now she couldn’t stop talking about her baby daughter. It was insanely adorable and something she’d never expected in a million years from her friend.

“There goes another one,” the redhead mused to herself, wondering if she should start marking off numbers on her napkin.

“Another one what?” Arizona asked, completely oblivious. After hearing her baby screaming for her in the airport had nearly shattered her heart into a thousand pieces Callie had been sending pictures and videos of Sofia to her phone all day to show her that the infant had recovered and she was sharing each and every one of them with her friend, chattering nonstop about how awesome her daughter was.

Addison smirked, sipping slowly on her drink. “Another person that hit on you and you didn’t even give them the time of day.”

Laughing, Arizona shook her head, still messing with her phone. “No one’s hitting on me, Addie,” she denied. She honestly couldn’t see it. “Besides,” she lifted her left hand and wiggled her ring finger, “I’m married. Happily. Happily married!” she declared with a smile. “And it’s Sofia’s bedtime and Calliope said she’d call and let me see her!”

“Then she’ll call,” Addison assured her. “Don’t worry.”

But she did worry. Because her wife had faced a gunman and climbed into a sinkhole. Each time when she wasn’t around. Of course, Callie would never do anything that might put Sofia in danger (she wasn’t counting the sinkhole against her). And she knew that she was one of those moms now, the ones who’d come into her ward and made her hesitant about having kids of her own. But she liked to think that she was doing alright. She was protective, yes, of her wife and their daughter, but she wasn’t an insane freak about it. But she missed her baby and it was bedtime. She wanted to see her. That was why they had schedules. So Mama wouldn’t freak out while she was in California. 

Even as she thought it, her screen lit up and she stabbed the correct button, melting into her booth bench when she saw Sofia’s sweet, sleepy face. “Hey, my angel!” Sofia blinked at the sound of her voice, looking for her, but was too tired to try for long, just whimpering. “Look at you! You’re the cutest little thing ever! Calliope, look how cute she is! And she’s got the pink elephants on! The pink elephant pajamas are her favorites.”

“I see her, honey,” Callie answered from off the screen, amused. She had a theory that the pink elephants were actually Arizona’s favorites, but she wasn’t going to mention it. She found it secretly adorable. One hand stroked Sofia’s hair and she settled down, Arizona’s voice, even without her presence, was working its magic on their sleepy little one.

Addison was quickly out of her own half of the booth and sliding in beside Arizona. “Let me see!” she requested, turning the phone toward herself. “Hey Callie!”

“Hey Addie,” echoed the other woman. “Where are you guys?”

“I dragged her out to a bar hoping she was still a good wingman even now that she’s married, but she’s scaring everyone off with all the baby talk,” Addison pretended to complain, smirking at her friend. “It’s kind of insanely adorable!”

Callie laughed. “Oh, I know!”

“Hey!” protested Arizona. She couldn’t deny it though. It wasn’t her fault that her kid was the most sweet, perfect baby in the entire world. “I can hear you! And if you keep laughing at me you’ll wake up baby girl.” She got to watch her doze off, the screen going dark as Callie switched the lights off and she turned her phone’s camera on herself. “Hey you,” Arizona said, smiling at her. “And how’s the hottest mom in the world tonight?”

Addison rolled her eyes for her friend’s benefit and cleared her throat. “I’m going to get more drinks before you start talking about MILFs or something.”

“Addie!” Arizona pointed her out of the booth with a smirk. “She’s not wrong though,” she admitted to Callie when her friend was gone. “What are you wearing?”

Laughing, Callie shook her head and smirked. “You two have fun tonight, okay? You can take a night off from being ‘Mama.’ Enjoy it.”

“Aww, come on! Don’t change the subject! Just point the camera down a little, give me a little peek!” requested the blonde with a cheeky grin. Callie obliged but the image moved much too fast for her to make out any details. “Tease!” she declared.

“I’ll be looking forward to your drunk voicemail later,” Callie said, blowing her a kiss through the phone. “Have a good time,” she requested.

“What are you going to do tonight?” asked Arizona curiously. She hated the idea that Callie would be sitting at home doing nothing while she was out having fun with her friend.

The Latina shrugged. “I’ve got a book I haven’t been able to finish. Hopefully Sof will stay asleep and let me get some reading done.” Sighing, Arizona sent her a look. “Don’t do that,” Callie requested, smiling at her. “I love to read and you know it.”

“I do, but do you ever think we’re turning into a boring old married couple?”

An eyebrow cocked at her. Activity in the bedroom was on track and entirely not boring. It was true that they didn’t get out like they used to, though. “If you’re bored, babe…” she started, teasing.

A blue glare answered her. “I’m not even responding to that, Calliope.”

“I was just going to say that I could get another haircut,” said Callie, over-exaggerating her innocence. Arizona had been wild for her shorter haircut after it had been cut during their crazy bachelorette night planned by Callie’s sister Aria. “Or, if you want to get out more, we do have several family and close friend babysitters in town that we can call.”

“How about we discuss both?” Arizona bargained, grinning at her. She was anything but bored with her life, but she supposed a few more nights out couldn’t hurt. Especially not when she had Calliope Torres on her arm. She was a damn lucky woman, to have her life. “Maybe I can take you out once I get home? Just you and me? We’ll leave the munchkin with Tim and Teddy… Mom wants more grandkids, so they need the parenting practice because we are not having another one yet.”

Callie smiled sweetly (she adored anytime her wife talked about kids, present or future - though she did wholeheartedly agree that they weren’t ready for another one yet) and Arizona wanted nothing more in that second than to kiss her. Too bad she was in another state and wasn’t due home for another day and a half. “We’ll figure it out,” she promised. “But that would be nice. I’d really like that. We can talk about it when you get home.” She winked. “Until then though, you should have fun with Addie.”

“Fine,” Arizona said, over-dramatizing her sigh. “I guess if I have to go have fun… Enjoy your book, I guess?”

“I will,” promised Callie with a wink. “I’ll talk to you later, baby. I love you.”

“Love you too,” echoed the blonde, hanging up the phone. 

Addison chose that moment to return, handing a fresh drink across the table to her. “How’s the wife?” she asked cheerfully, sipping her refreshed wine.

“She’s fine,” Arizona answered, mimicking her friend’s tone. “Now, I think I heard you say I’m a bad wingman now that I’m married and that’s just not true. I can still get you whoever you want,” she declared confidently. “Point someone out…”

The redhead rolled her eyes, grinning. “No need for that. How about we just actually leave the table? I’m not saying you need to go home with anyone,” Arizona shot her a sharp blue glare, “But maybe we could dance with some of these nice people that keep asking us to dance?”

“Fine, if that’s what you want,” Arizona agreed, scoffing lightly. She was starting to remember what living with Addison had been like, how chaotic her life had been then. She definitely didn’t hate the change to stable, happy family with Callie. But Addison was fun and she worked hard, they both did. A night out wouldn’t hurt anything.

Once they weren’t noticeably distracted with phones, it took about three minutes before a pair of men were at the end of their table and asking them to dance. Arizona accepted with a smirking glance sideways at her friend and they slid out of their booth to follow the men to the dance floor. She was looking forward to a night out, but was still grateful for the fast song that meant she wouldn’t have to dance close. Fun or no, there was only one person she wanted to dance with that way.

Hands over her head drew his fingers up to twine through hers and he bumped her wedding ring. His eyes jumped up to confirm it and he looked surprised. “You’re married?”

Arizona kept moving to the music, letting him spin her. “Yes. Is that a problem for you?” Realizing how it sounded, she clarified quickly, “I mean, I’m happily married and am absolutely not going home with you,” she nodded toward Addison dancing a few feet away, “She wanted to go out tonight.”

He grinned, shrugging. “No worries. I can respect that,” he said, tone friendly. “If I can say though, your husband’s an idiot to let you and your girlfriend there come out alone.”

Laughing, they both clapped along to the beat of the song, everyone in the bar doing it too. “Actually, it would be my wife who’s an idiot, but she’s not. I’m in L.A. on business or she’d be here with me and you’d be dancing with someone else.”

“That would have been a shame.”

Dancing through another song, they idly chitchatted, Arizona excusing herself from the floor when Addison did the same, following her friend back to their table. “Did you have fun with your new boyfriend?” the redhead asked, waving over their waiter for another round of drinks.

Blue eyes rolled and Arizona smirked. “We small-talked the whole time. He’s an investment banker and he thinks you’re hot. He gave me his number for you if you want it.” She arched a challenging eyebrow at her friend as she slapped the business card to the table. “Bad wingman, my ass! I’m an awesome wingman! How about you? How was your guy?”

Addison sighed, but took the paper. “Wannabe actor, pass.” Surveying the bar while she sipped on her wine, she suggested, “Want to call it a night?”

They finished their drinks and caught a taxi back to Addison’s apartment. The redhead was tipsy and seemed content to flop into a ball in the middle of her ridiculously overstuffed leather chair, tugging a blanket over herself which Arizona kindly straightened out for her before checking the locks and going upstairs to her guest room.

The last time she’d been here Callie had been with her and it made her suddenly homesick. It was past midnight, but Callie had teased her about a drunken voicemail. She wasn’t actually drunk but the least she could do would be actually leave one. Her wife had asked for one, after all.

“Hello?” Callie answering the phone hadn’t been one of the things she’d anticipated when she’d hit her wife’s speed dial. And she certainly hadn’t expected her to sound like that when she answered.

Because that sounded a lot like a breathy tone of voice that Callie should only reach when she was there to get her to it.

Apparently she was taking too long to answer because Callie spoke up again, “Arizona, babe, are you there?”

Coughing to clear her throat, the blonde had to sit down on the edge of her borrowed bed, silently cursing the distance between Los Angeles and Seattle and the full day of lectures she would be expected to attend tomorrow. She was damn well moving her flight home up though. “Am I interrupting something?” she asked hoarsely, feeling her own insides tremble as Callie’s heavy breathing came through the phone. “I can call back - I’ll just talk to you tomorrow,” she stammered, feeling nervous suddenly.

“No!” Callie yelped, followed quickly by a strangled, “Oh God, yes, Arizona!”

Her hard, fast breathing was the only thing Arizona could hear as her own heart rate picked up to pace it, her throat suddenly dry as a bone. Giving her a few minutes to apparently come down, Arizona had to clear her throat before she could speak. “Um, Calliope, just curious, but how often do you answer the phone when you’re about to come?” Because she was no idiot - she knew exactly what her wife’s orgasms sounded like.

She laughed on the other side of the phone and Arizona had to close her eyes. Callie had the sexiest laugh she’d ever heard. Breathlessly, the brunette answered her, “You’re the only person that would be calling this late. I heard your ringtone and I needed a little help over the top.” 

Arizona wasn’t near a mirror, but she could feel the flush that covered her from head to toe. This woman was going to be the sexy, sexy death of her. “I guess I should have talked more then, huh?” she said dumbly, kicking herself for it as soon as it left her lips.

It did earn her another one of those husky laughs though and she smiled. “Talk to me now,” Callie requested, the sheets rustling on her end as she settled into the bed and made herself more comfortable. Arizona knew from her voice that she wouldn’t be awake much longer.

“You missed me that much that you couldn’t go one night?” was the first thing she could think of to ask and Callie’s chuckles kept up.

“Yes I did,” Callie answered her simply. “But who said I was thinking about you?” she teased, and Arizona could hear the smirk in her voice.

“You did,” the blonde replied smugly. “If you needed someone else to get you over the top, you answered the wrong phone call, baby! Also, you said my name when you… you know.”

Callie laughed warmly and Arizona kicked off her shoes and slid up the bed to lie down herself. “Okay, you busted me - I was getting myself off and thinking about my wife,” acknowledged the Latina. “How does that fit into your theory that we’re an old, boring married couple?”

“I think it’s all kinds of sexy,” Arizona admitted with a deep breath, laughing herself. “And maybe my theory needs work. How was that book you were supposedly reading?”

“It was really good!” Callie yawned. “But then I finished it and Sof’s sleeping and I was bored and thinking about you…” She paused when Arizona moaned throatily in her ear.

“You’re trying to torture me, aren’t you?”

Another warm laugh. “Well, why don’t you torture me back? You were the one out at some big L.A. nightclub without me.”

“I thought about you the whole time those guys were feeling me up,” Arizona said, smirking to herself.

A warning growl was her reward that time. “Arizona…”

“You said to torture you!”

“Success. Change the subject now, please,” she ordered firmly, clearly not a request. Callie’s voice went back to sleepy and soft. “Did you show Addie all the pictures of Sofia? Is she in love with her?”

“Of course she is! Everyone’s in love with her, Calliope! She’s perfect!” Burrowing into her pillow, Arizona let out a deep breath. “Does she miss me? She knows I’m gone, right?”

Callie knew it probably wasn’t the reaction her wife was looking for, but she couldn’t help scoffing. “Of course she does, Arizona. She looked for you when I picked her up from daycare and when we were making dinner she just kept looking around the kitchen and making these pitiful little whimpering noises. She’s been breaking my heart missing you all day.”

Arizona sighed again. “Is it wrong that that makes me feel better? I just don’t want her to forget about me.”

“You’re her Mama, Arizona. She’s not going to forget about you,” Callie promised her, touched as always by her partner’s devotion to their daughter. “She might have two mothers, but you’re the only ‘Mama’ she’s ever going to have.” She yawned again. “Did dancing with random strangers wear you out? Because I’m sleepy.”

Arizona smiled to herself. Callie could sleep through anything. But going to sleep would only get her home that much faster. “I could sleep. Go to sleep, babe. I’ll call you in the morning.”

“M’kay,” Callie hummed. “Love you.”

“I love you too,” echoed Arizona, pleased. “Kiss Sofia for me in the morning.” She wasn’t sure she was heard, Callie’s soft breathing audible in her ear. She didn’t worry that it wouldn’t happen, though. She hung the phone up with a smile.


	6. Chapter 6

Callie was tying her shoes in the locker room when Mark Sloan stuck his head around the end of the row of lockers. “Torres, I need you,” he announced plainly and she arched an eyebrow at him.

“Consult?” He was changing from scrubs to his street clothes so it seemed unlikely that he was coming in to work.

“No, I want to borrow your kid,” Mark said, laughing. “Chicks love babies, Torres,” he explained when she just stared at him. It was Arizona’s second day in L.A. and she’d been paged in too early this morning. His request was just confusing her.

“You want to borrow my daughter?”

He nodded, upswept graying blonde hair disheveled when he tugged a tight sweater over his bare chest. “To pick up women. We’ll just be across the street,” he said as if that sweetened the deal.

Her eyebrow rose slowly. “Across the street at the bar? You want to take my baby to a bar?” Shaking her head, she sighed and resumed tying her shoe. “Mark, no,” she declared. “You cannot take my baby to pick up women at the bar.”

The man sent her an eye roll. “You’re spoiling my fun, Torres.”

“You’re supposedly so good at picking up women, I’m helping you practice your skills by refusing to give you a secret weapon,” she said. “Now go, practice your art. And stay the hell away from the nursery. No one else will loan you a baby either, so don’t try it.”

Mark left the locker room and Callie rolled her eyes. He was ridiculous sometimes. And Arizona would probably want to hit him when she found out. Which could be fun too. She held off on pulling her phone out and texting her though. They’d been chatting like teenage girls all day already. She could wait the twenty-four hours she had left until she was picking her wife up from the airport.

Cases kept her busy all day until she was completely wiped out. Arizona wasn’t going to be happy about it, she knew that from Africa when she’d worked as many hours without a break as she could stand so that sleeping alone was easier. But this wasn’t deliberate. She was just the best. And her patients needed the best.

Barely holding her eyes open, she went to collect Sofia from daycare, able to sleep at the hospital herself but not wanting to do that to her daughter. The hallway outside the nursery was almost empty, but the dark-haired older woman left as soon as she entered and moved down the hall away from her. Sofia’s wide brown eyes looked happy enough to see her, she got a smile, but after only a few seconds Sofia was looking around for Arizona. “I know, you miss Mama. Tomorrow, sweetheart. She’ll be home tomorrow, I promise.”

She got them packed up into the car, Sofia cooing and talking nonsensical baby noises to herself in her car seat and rattling a noisemaker. Lights were already on inside the house when she pulled up, a taxi turning the corner up the block while the driveway was empty of all but Arizona’s Jeep, just as she’d left it. Suspicious, she found her phone before she got either one of them out of the car.

Arizona answered on the first ring, sounding chipper and giving her suspicions confirmation. “You wouldn’t happen to have just gone inside our house, would you?”

“That seems possible, Calliope.”

“How? Why? You weren’t supposed to come back until tomorrow!” Callie stammered, happy but overwhelmed.

“I couldn’t wait any longer. I finished my last seminar and skipped out on the dinner party part. I didn’t even have Addie as a date. She got called in to work. It would have been lame,” Arizona said, walking back outside where Callie could see her silhouette from the car.

“Get your skinny ass over here right now,” ordered Callie, hanging up her phone and getting out of the car. Arizona met her at the passenger side, both hands diving into her hair as soon as she was in reach.

“My ass is not skinny, Calliope,” the blonde stated, the words breathed against her lips. Callie smirked and kissed her. “I missed you,” she whispered into a gap for breath, Callie taking her lips again. The kiss broke a few seconds later with an audible pop. “Where’s my baby girl?” she asked eagerly, clapping her hands in her excitement.

“Mark wanted to take her to the bar and try and pick up chicks with her,” Callie said stupidly, enjoying the way Arizona’s blue eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. “Of course I told him no. She’s in her car seat, Arizona,” she said, nodding her head toward the door of the car behind them. She graciously moved out of her way to let the blonde open the door, watching and listening to Sofia’s noises get louder when her Mama appeared.

Arizona was squeezing her tightly as she leaned them back out of the car, Callie collecting the diaper bag from the floorboard and shutting the car behind them. Arizona took her free hand and they went back toward the house, Sofia chattering away happily to them, content again (and louder) now that Mama was holding her. “That’s so cool, baby,” Arizona agreed with her as though she was actually speaking.

Unable to stop herself from smiling, Callie found she was equally unable to tear her eyes off of them. “Told you she missed you,” she said smugly. Arizona was chattering back to Sofia but still sent her a smirking look. “I missed you too, you know.”

“And I will definitely be expressing how much I missed you, but it’s almost this one’s bedtime.” Something occurred to her and she glanced between the two. “She didn’t sleep with you last night, did she? Because you were a little… distracted.” Her smirk was devilish.

Brown eyes rolled. “No, she was in her room.”

Arizona was triumphant as Sofia yawned in her arms, the excitement of getting her beloved Mama back wearing her out. “Well, I can’t say I’m disappointed you didn’t bring another girl into our bed.” Callie pinched her sharply on the ass in rebuke and made her jump. “Addison didn’t even make it to her bed! She fell asleep in the giant leather armchair!”

Sofia managed a few more minutes of ‘conversation’ with Arizona, the blonde eating up the attention and giving it straight back to her. She could see the weariness in her partner’s face as they put Sofia to bed, standing at the side of her crib. “Don’t look at me like that,” Callie said before she could even speak.

“I’m not,” Arizona denied mildly. “Let’s get in bed ourselves.” It was a little past Sofia’s bedtime, but it was still an early night for them. “You look tired and I slept like crap last night after I listened to you entertaining yourself on the phone and then had to go to bed by myself!”

Callie volunteered eagerly to be the big spoon, both of them changing into pajamas and meeting in the middle of the bed. Arizona went willingly into her arms, feeling the steady breaths against her back. “How’d you get to come home early?” Callie asked, mumbling and checking the baby monitor’s volume one last time before she contently snuggled an arm across her wife’s waist, hand covering her stomach possessively. “Your flight wasn’t until tomorrow.”

“I told you - I couldn’t wait anymore,” Arizona whispered, smiling when lips kissed behind her ear. “I’m addicted to our baby,” she confessed. “I don’t want to miss any days of her life, even the boring ones, unless I absolutely have to and I didn’t have to be at this dinner thing, so I bailed.”

Humming contentedly, Callie cuddled in closer as Arizona laced her fingers through hers. “I’m okay with that. Because she missed you. I’ve had a very grumpy baby on my hands the last two days. And she’s much cuter when she’s smiling. She looks like you, so when you’re both sad it breaks my heart.”

“Well, I’m home now, so smiley, happy dimples are back on the forecast,” Arizona promised, feeling Callie nuzzling contentedly into the back of her neck.

They woke up tangled together, Callie’s arms snug around her, leg wound through Arizona’s. Cooing from the baby monitor drew the blonde’s attention and she smiled at the image of her daughter rocking from side to side on her back with a smile on her lips while she waited for one of her parents to come get her out. “Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma,” she chattered happily in between other random sounds.

Arizona knew it was nonsense, just normal baby noises, but her heart swelled. She had a feeling that she would lose her mind whenever Sofia said her first word, when she called her ‘Mama.’ “Calliope, can you hear her?” she whispered, not wanting to wake her if she was sleeping, but wanting her to hear this. Because it was awesome.

Lips pressed behind her ear and her partner let out a shaky breath. “She loves her Mama,” she said softly, her voice hoarse and emotional. She loved her family more than anything in the world. Arizona reached out and grabbed the baby monitor before turning in her arms and snuggling in again, holding the monitor where they could both see it. “Oh my God, she’s amazing,” Callie sighed, Arizona’s head next to hers on the pillow. She laced the fingers of their free hands, needing a connection with her other half.

Soon enough the baby was whimpering and Arizona reluctantly slid out of their embrace to get her up. They did their normal morning routine, alternating in the shower with the other one getting the baby fed and ready to go, a standard that Callie appreciated all the more now that she’d done a pair of back to back solo mornings. Occasionally there were mornings where one of them was coming or going before Sofia was awake, but they were thankfully few and far between.

A page just as they entered meant that Callie had to leave them before they reached the nursery, dropping Sofia off together part of their routine. She had to settle for laying a kiss on each of her girls before dashing to the locker room to change while Arizona delivered baby and diaper bag to the hospital’s daycare.

Carrying her through the doors and signing in with the nurse in charge, Arizona was surprised when she glanced through the windows that displayed the hallway. If she wasn’t mistaken, Lucia Torres had just turned the corner. They talked to Carlos at least once a week and he hadn’t mentioned they were coming to Seattle. And even if they were coming, she had a hard time believing that her mother-in-law would be here where her unacknowledged grandchild was.

Getting Sofia settled with a tower of blocks, she sat down and helped with it for a few minutes, building it up before the baby swatted a hand and knocked it over, giggling gleefully and proud of herself. They were definitely in for a handful soon enough, Arizona reflected with a smile. She couldn’t wait.

She was hesitant to go, not sure how Sofia would like her leaving again so soon, but the delay did enable her to catch another glimpse of Mrs. Torres outside in the hall. She caught her eye this time, but the older woman didn’t linger, marching briskly away as soon as their gazes met. Weird.

Digging her phone out of her pocket, Arizona scrolled down until she hit Carlos’ number, holding the phone between her chin and shoulder while it rang. She’d rebuilt half of the tower and Sofia was determinately whacking one of the blocks against the ground in front of her where she was sitting between her mother’s knees when he answered the phone. “Carlos, hi, it’s Arizona,” she greeted him.

“Hello, my dear! How’s my darling Sofia?” he replied, sounding genuinely pleased to hear from her.

“She’s great,” Arizona answered, laughing as Sofia managed to hit one block with another and watching as her eyes went wide from the noise it made. She loved anything that made new noises. “She’s sitting right here with me playing with blocks.” 

“Perfect,” sighed her father-in-law, completely in love with his granddaughter. “She’s so much like Calliope was at that age. Precocious and into everything.”

“Well, she’s not quite roaming yet, but she’s mastering rolling over and laughing and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” Arizona told him. Though, admittedly, her bar on ‘cutest thing ever’ changed pretty much on a daily basis with her daughter. She was just so damn adorable!

“Perfect!” he declared again. “You’ll have to send me a video of her laughing. I’d very much like to see that.”

“Yes sir,” she promised. “I’ll send one when we get home.”

“Wonderful. Thank you, Arizona. Was there something you needed from me?” He cleared his throat quickly. “Not that you’re not welcome to call anytime, but it must be pretty early in the morning there…”

“I was actually calling about Mrs. Torres,” Arizona interjected gently.

He took a long pause. “What about her, exactly?”

“Well, do you happen to know that she’s in Seattle?” she asked, not sure what to make of any of this. “I’ve seen her twice already this morning hanging around outside Sofia’s nursery, but she leaves every time I notice her out there.”

His next breath was shorter and sharp. “She’s there? Arizona, I didn’t know. She said that… She told me she was going to New York for a few days. She’s in Seattle? Looking in on Sofia?”

Sofia was still contentedly trying to recreate her new noise, caring nothing for her grandmother’s strange behavior. “Has she had some kind of change of heart? Because I’ll tell her the same thing I told you - she can’t be a grandmother to Sofia if she’s not a mother to Callie. It’s not fair and I won’t let her get hurt like that.”

“I understand,” Carlos promised, remembering their second meeting where she’d said the exact same thing to him. It warmed his heart to know someone was so protective of his daughter’s heart.

Arizona took a deep breath. “Should we try and talk to her, or maybe if you’re free you could come? You’d get to see Sof’s laughing in person and I know Calliope would love to see you.” She cleared her throat lightly. “I don’t know if she’s been here more than just today, but the nursery is not a good place to linger around. And here at the hospital, access is restricted to doctors and parents…” And a specific list of guests but it went without saying that Lucia Torres’ name was not on it.

Carlos shuffled some papers and sighed. “I will call her today but I don’t think I can leave for Seattle until tomorrow morning.”

“Not a problem,” Arizona assured him. “I’ll talk to the nursery staff and make sure they don’t call the police or anything in the meantime, but I appreciate your help on this.” She wasn’t entirely sure what to make of Callie’s mother, but she knew precisely where her own loyalties were. Callie and Sofia came first. “Thank you, Carlos.”

“Of course. Thank you for letting me know what is happening.”

They hung up and Arizona slid her phone back in her pocket. She couldn’t dawdle anymore, she had to get to work, but Sofia was just so cute. Reluctantly, she picked her up for one last snuggle, the little girl giggling when Arizona nuzzled into her neck and blew a raspberry, and put her back down on her tummy on the mat so she could keep playing with her blocks. A nurse nodded as she stood up, keeping an eye on Sofia in the crowd of other children.

She explained the situation with Callie’s mother to the nurse on duty, told her she might be lingering around but not to call the police. She also reiterated that while the older woman was not a threat to Sofia or any of the other children, she was still not authorized to take Sofia anywhere. Besides herself and Callie, only Tim, Teddy, and Alex had privileges to pick up the infant from the daycare center.

Catching Callie at lunch, Arizona related her strange sighting and the talk with Carlos, watching her partner’s face for any reaction. Mostly she just saw shock. “She’s been coming here to watch Sofia? That’s weird, right?”

“Yes, a bit,” Arizona conceded dryly, amused. “I already talked to the nursery staff and asked them not to call the cops if she was loitering out there all day. And your dad said he would call her. What do you want to do?” she asked, spearing a bite of her lasagna with a bit more force than necessary. This whole situation was very confusing and she was protective. But she wasn’t sure how to be in this situation. How much was too much? And what did Callie want? She glanced down when Callie’s hand touched her thigh, eyes jumping back up to meet her eyes. “I’ll do anything you want, Calliope.”

Callie just studied her face for a long moment without speaking, finally leaning over to kiss her cheek softly, hand moving up to cover her other cheek. “I know you’re trying to protect us,” she murmured, nuzzling her nose against Arizona’s. “That’s all I could ask for. I don’t know why my mom is here, but I have no doubt that you’re looking out for me and for Sof,” Arizona nodded, swallowing hard, “So we’re just going to wait and see, and you’re going to calm down and be the perfect, loving, sweet Mama that we need. Okay?”

Swallowing again, Arizona’s eyes slid closed and she took a deep steadying breath. “I can do that,” she promised, smiling as she opened her eyes again.

“We’ll just see what Daddy says,” Callie assured her. “But I meant what I said, Arizona. If she gets back into our family is entirely dependent on if she has your approval. I don’t want her passive aggressive stuff around Sofia.” She locked eyes on blue depths that she adored. “And there’s a zero tolerance policy on her saying anything about you, our marriage, or Sofia not having two parents. We’ll just get up and walk out.”

Arizona nodded. She was okay with that plan. She wasn’t really the type to just sit there and let her place in her own family get belittled anyway. And that reminded her… “Hey, actually, do you want to get married…?”

Callie choked on her drink in surprise.

Being paged away from lunch and their conversation was absolutely the last thing Callie had wanted from her day, but that was exactly what she’d gotten. And in the middle of dealing with her mother’s strange renewed interest in at least their baby. Her mother would just love to share her opinion on Arizona’s startling question.

And she was a bit startled herself. She’d never questioned that they were married. It hurt to think that Arizona might… But they had had no time at all to talk about it before she’d had to leave. Damn emergent cases. Her phone beeped in her pocket and she knew without looking that it was Arizona.

Don’t even think it, Calliope. You’re my wife. Call me when you can. - A

It did make a bit of the knot in her stomach go away, but it was still a strange question for Arizona to ask. Until she noticed the news ticker on the television as she passed through the lobby after giving her patient’s family the good news after surgery - ‘Washington State Marriage Equality Law In Effect.’

The rest of the knot melted into gooey warmth. She would marry Arizona as many times as they had to. And she knew that nothing could make Arizona more committed to her, but this couldn’t hurt. She was painfully aware of how her partner would be treated if they ever had to go to a hospital somewhere that wasn’t Seattle Grace. No one here would deny Arizona’s place as Sofia’s mother, even if she wasn’t the Head of Pediatric Surgery, or Arizona’s rights as her wife, but any other hospital could be a different story.

Leaving her patient’s family, she found her phone in the pocket of her lab coat and hit the speed dial for Arizona while her feet carried her toward the daycare. After the weirdness with her mother this morning, she wanted to look in on Sofia herself. She could hear the phone ringing down the hall echoing the ringing on her phone against her ear and she smiled as she hung it up, already knowing who she’d find when she turned the corner.

“There’s my wife,” Arizona greeted her with a smile, looking up from her phone. “Calliope, I…”

“I saw the news, babe, I get it,” interjected Callie. “That is what you meant, right? Make it legal? Because I hate to break this to you, but we are absolutely already married, Arizona Robbins!”

The blonde bit her lip, smiling and standing on her toes to kiss her cheek. “I know that! And I would have explained myself but you got called in on a surgery. How did it go, by the way?” she asked, both of them flashing their IDs to the nurse inside the doors of the daycare. Apparently Callie hadn’t been the only one who’d had a desire to see their baby girl.

“It went well. He’s going to keep his legs.”

Sofia was just finishing her afternoon snack as they came in but she spit out her spoon of sweet potatoes when her parents appeared, grinning and drooling orange goo down her chin. Arizona stepped forward with a smile and picked her up, wiping the food from her face with a handy towel. “What a pretty smile you have under all this mess, my sweet angel!”

The nurse smiled to Callie and showed her the nearly empty jar of food and left the family, Callie leaning against the wall and watching them. “So, you want to marry me, huh?” she commented, getting an eye roll in answer.

“We’re already married. I just think we should put it on the books,” Arizona replied. “I’d like some more rights to take care of my own wife.” She shot her a pointed look. “Especially with your history of standing in front of gunmen and climbing into sinkholes.” Her lips dropped a kiss on top of their little girl’s head. “It’s completely crazy to me that I’ve had the right to take care of this one her whole life, she’s legally mine, but you’re not, not entirely, anyway.”

“Arizona, in every way that matters, I am yours,” Callie promised. “She’s yours.” She smiled when Arizona looked up from the baby to meet her gaze. “And you better believe that you’re ours,” she said smugly, pleased and proud of that fact. “But, yeah, let’s do it, let’s get it on paper. Any kind of paper we can get, let’s get them.” They had their partnership papers, had since the wedding, but a marriage license couldn’t hurt. Matching dimples popped on both faces and it made her heart swell.

Arizona flew Sofia through the air toward her, making airplane noises through puckered lips and making them both laugh. “Is it okay if we just do it at the courthouse or whatever?” she asked, hiding her face behind Sofia’s head. “We’ve already had a wedding and that’s the anniversary I want to remember.”

Kissing Sofia and then ducking around her to get to Arizona’s cheek, Callie nodded. “Of course. This is a technicality.” Hiking Sofia onto her shoulder, she quickly spun them, the little girl shrieking happily. “But if I hear the word ‘pre-nup’ at all, even as a joke,” Arizona’s hand was over her lips immediately, blue eyes narrowed warningly, “I’ll hurt you,” she finished as the fingers slipped off.

“Oh, you’re so lucky you’re holding the baby right now, Calliope Torres,” Arizona growled, stepping in closer and pinching her ass firmly in rebuke. “We’re not ever going to need that, so it’s not even worth joking about. And now we’re changing the subject,” she ordered sternly.

“Absolutely,” agreed Callie. “So we’ll just keep it low key? Go to the courthouse, or mail it in or something?”

Nodding, Arizona slid her palm flat against her wife’s butt for a squeeze, using the grip as leverage to haul her in for a kiss to seal the deal. “Sounds perfect. Very romantic.”

A smirk curled full lips. “We’re a boring old married couple already, remember?” Arizona’s dimples popped and she chewed on her bottom lip. “And yet you’re groping me in the baby room of the nursery at work… Didn’t we used to have rules about all of those things?”

“Whatever, Calliope. I don’t think Sofia’s going to tell on us,” Arizona pointed out, tickling her free hand across the baby’s back.

Callie leaned back to catch a glimpse of their daughter’s face, heart thumping faster in her chest as she drank in Arizona’s features that had been passed down. It never failed to have that reaction. Sofia was grinning widely at her parents, hands gripping tight to Callie’s scrubs. “What do you think, Sof? You going to tattle on your mommies?”

She just giggled when Arizona tickled her foot through her little sock. “I think that’s a no,” the blonde declared, winking. “And I don’t know what your schedule is like, but I have to get back to work now,” she said reluctantly, checking her phone. “Will you call me if you hear from your dad?”

“Of course,” Callie murmured, accepting a kiss on the cheek. “I should probably get out of here too, but she’s not going to like you going, so I’ll stay for a few minutes and calm her down.”

Nodding, Arizona gave the baby another kiss before she backed away, waving at her. “Mama loves you, Sofia. I’ll be back to take you home soon,” she promised. She was almost unsurprised to see her mother-in-law fleeing the hall. Without hearing what she wanted from Carlos, she wasn’t going to approach her. If the other woman wanted to make first contact, that was up to her.


	7. Chapter 7

Callie was in the kitchen working on dinner when the doorbell rang so Arizona went to answer it, leaving Sofia rolling all over the floor and Alex sitting in front of the couch watching football. (His cable had been turned off and Callie’s cooking was better than cold pizza.) Flipping on the porch light revealed Carlos and she opened the door for him.

They weren’t the hugging types, at least not with each other, so they just exchanged familiar nods of greeting. “Carlos, it’s good to see you,” Arizona said. “Calliope’s in the kitchen and Sofia’s right in here,” she gestured toward the living room, “Do you remember Alex Karev? He works at the hospital with us.”

“She’s my boss,” the younger man clarified as he stood up, Sofia hanging off of one of his hands. His other hand was protectively under her in case she slipped. “And I used to live upstairs.” He cleared his throat when Mr. Torres sent him a narrow look. “I think we might have met once, maybe…” Alex finished awkwardly. “Sir,” he added, clearing his throat and shooting a look at Arizona when she stifled a snort of laughter.

She scooped up the baby and turned her so she could see her grandfather. “Look who’s here to see you, Sofia,” she said, the little girl leaning back against her chest and sitting on her arm. “It’s your abuelo, sweet girl.” Her brown eyes considered him tentatively but she smiled when he did and Arizona passed her over carefully. “I’ll just go let Callie know you’re here.”

Beyond the swinging door to the kitchen it was no surprise that Callie hadn’t heard the doorbell, the music she loved to sing and dance along to while she cooked playing from the radio on the counter. She jumped when Arizona sidled up behind her. “Arizona! You scared me!”

Amused, the blonde reached around her to take the slotted spoon from her. Callie was nervous and it was cute. But she was feeling some nerves herself, so she focused on the cuteness. “Let me take over in here. Your dad’s in the living room with Alex and Sof.” 

Callie took a deep breath before she turned and met blue eyes. “You’re not going to let it burn, are you?” she asked, lightly teasing. “Because I can stay and…”

“You know I can cook, I just choose not to, Calliope,” Arizona interjected, shaking her head. “And given the choice, I’m picking potentially ruining your delicious dinner over dealing with that…” Callie gave her a narrow look and she continued quickly, “It’s just your dad. You guys should catch up.” She cocked her head, hands settling on her wife’s hips. “And you know that if you need me, for anything, you know I’m there.”

Nodding, Callie snuck a quick kiss. “I know that. And if this stuff with my mom goes the way I think it will…”

“I will be wherever you are,” promised Arizona immediately, fingers in the waist of her pants to tug her closer. “Hey, remember when I was in L.A. and we talked about having a date? I still owe you that date…”

An expressive eyebrow arched, intrigued. “It was last week, of course I remember. What do you have in mind?”

“Well, your dad is here and you know he’d love a chance to babysit…” Arizona reminded her, a smile growing slowly. “Tomorrow, maybe? We could go out, you could wear something hot just to torture me,” Callie smirked, “And I’ll do my best to keep up,” Callie scoffed in denial - Arizona was more than capable of keeping up with her, “And we could order a bottle of wine with dinner and take each others’ clothes off when we get home?”

Callie wasn’t sure she’d ever heard a more appealing plan in her life. “Dad would like to keep her, I bet,” she mused. “And it’s been a while since I made you drool in public.”

It was Arizona’s turn to scoff. “Not as long as you think, Calliope.” Curious, Callie smirked. “You didn’t have another shirt under your scrubs on Monday… I think one of the interns in the pit had a nosebleed while you were down there.” She chuckled. “I’m pretty sure he dropped that chart on purpose the second time just so you’d lean over to pick it up.”

Brown eyes blinked and she cleared her throat lightly. “I think that’s my cue to leave,” declared Callie, giving her a final quick kiss. “There’re rolls in the oven. Don’t forget them, please.”

“I got it,” Arizona assured her, withdrawing her hands to let her go.

Callie greeted her father with a quick kiss on the cheek, Alex taking her entrance as his exit and jogging up the stairs. “Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes if you want some, Karev!” she called after him, taking the seat on the couch next to her father.

Sofia was sitting on her grandfather’s knee and cooing. “He’s not an ex-boyfriend of Arizona’s is he?” Carlos asked, edge in his tone as he stared after the retreating man.

Unable to help herself, Callie laughed. “No, Dad. He’s her student, but he lived here since they were both residents at the hospital.”

“It’s a bit of an odd arrangement, that’s all.”

“Arizona doesn’t have any ex-boyfriends,” Callie assured him. “Alex is just a friend. He helps around the house, watches Sofia if we get stuck, stuff like that. He’s not great for cooking, but neither is Arizona. She can, she just chooses to let me do most of it. They moved out before we got pregnant, but we are all still good friends, and as much as they deny it I think Arizona would miss him if he wasn’t around.”

Carlos gave her a considering look, a smile teasing the corners of his mouth. “You have a wonderful life.” Meeting his eyes, Callie swallowed without speaking. “It’s all a parent wants for their children, for them to have a good life. You know that now.” His voice grew hoarse and he had to clear his throat. “Parents do the best they can, Calliope. And sometimes you’re going to make mistakes. We all do…”

Sofia chose that moment to throw herself sideways off of his leg toward the floor and they both lunged to catch her, Callie intercepting her head and shoulder before they could drop too far while Carlos got her legs. Pulling her into her lap, Callie could do nothing but shake her head as the little girl laughed happily at her mother’s caution. She was nothing but faithful that she wouldn’t be allowed to fall. “Sorry, Dad. It’s not you, she just does that sometimes. She thinks it’s funny, don’t you, Sofia?” Arizona entered from the kitchen just in time to hear, “I blame Mama for that little quirk.”

“Hey!” the blonde protested, exchanging smiles with her wife. “Is she doing the dive-bombing thing again?” she asked knowingly as she joined them at the couch and leaned over the back to tickle her daughter’s tummy. “You’ve got to stop doing that, sweet pea. It scares your mommies!” Sofia was fearless though.

“Is dinner ready?”

Arizona nodded. “I didn’t even burn the rolls,” she promised sarcastically. “Carlos, there’s plenty if you’d like to join us.”

Getting a smile from Callie, the elder Torres nodded graciously and stood up. “Thank you. That would be wonderful.”

A sharp whistle from the base of the stairs alerted Alex and he came downstairs to eat, stiff in his seat beside Carlos. Sofia enjoyed her highchair parked at the corner of the table in between her parents, smacking her plastic spoon to the tray to add to the bustle of activity as everyone served up their dinner. Arizona willingly took on the task of feeding the baby, the pair wearing matching smiles as the blonde tried to get the giggling, squirming little girl to actually swallow her food. 

Callie couldn’t resist sneaking glances at them even as she ate her own dinner. She did it every night at dinner, every morning at breakfast. They were just unbelievably perfect together, her family. She’d never get enough of it.

They kept the conversation light while Alex was at the table with them, no one mentioning Lucia and whatever strange errand had brought her to Seattle. Arizona did take the lull in topics to ask Carlos if he would be willing to babysit the following night. He didn’t hesitate to agree, always eager for more time with Sofia.

“You guys working?” Alex asked, frowning in confusion as he tried to remember what cases they were working on.

“No, we’re going on a date,” Arizona informed him happily. “I promised my woman a night out.”

Smirking, Callie rolled her eyes. “She thinks we’re a boring old married couple now.”

“With as much sex as you guys have?” countered Alex without thinking, going stiff when Callie’s eyes went wide across the table while Carlos cleared his throat lightly with his gaze focused on his plate.

Arizona sighed, rubbing her temple lightly while the other hand spun her fork slowly through her spaghetti. “Seriously, Karev? Seriously, you say that?!”

“Sweetheart…” Callie spoke up in his defense, amused in spite of her embarrassment. It wasn’t like he was wrong. Sofia broke the awkwardness with a clatter, pitching her bottle over the side of her tray and shrieking with laughter. “She gets it from you,” said Callie with a smirk, leaning over to retrieve the bottle.

“Oh no, Calliope! You are the troublemaker, remember?!” They exchanged familiar happy smiles. This was a common argument, which one of them had given which traits to their daughter.

Carlos offered his opinion with a smile, his eyes only darting up from his plate for quick glances, “I believe Arizona may be correct, Calliope. You always were a bit of a troublemaker.”

Wanting to share her own feelings about the discussion, Sofia let out a shriek and grabbed onto Arizona’s heart necklace. Callie laughed, throwing her head back. “I think she’s on my side!” She leaned over to kiss the baby’s cheek. “Mama’s the troublemaker, isn’t she, sweetie?”

Sofia just grinned, yanking on the chain until Arizona gently extracted it from her grip. “I know you’re playing, but Mami gave me this and we don’t want to break it, do we?” she coaxed, kissing her on the other cheek and giving her the plastic spoon to play with instead. She promptly started beating it against the tray and giggling, pleased with herself. “I think we’ve got a little wannabe drummer on our hands,” Arizona commented as she leaned back into her seat.

Callie could just smile. “Karev, if you buy her a drum set…”

“No way,” he promised. “I like the little bit of sleep I get, Torres, and I bet you could hear her from my place!” He sent a look toward Sofia, but it was clear that he was fond of the little baby. “She already gives every chick that sees her an aching womb. They just want me to knock them up.”

Laughing, Arizona smiled affectionately at her wife. “She’s pretty darn addictive,” she agreed smugly. “Everybody loves her!” Her eyes narrowed at her student. “But your lady friends do not touch the baby,” she reminded him pointedly.

He rolled his eyes and shoved his last bite into his mouth. “I know the rules about the baby,” Alex confirmed sarcastically, standing up. “I gotta go, date tonight. Thanks for cooking. Mr. Torres… bye!” Tousling Sofia’s hair and waving, he bolted.

Callie couldn’t help smirking. “Why did he eat dinner if he was going on a date?”

“Maybe it wasn’t a dinner date,” suggested Arizona without thinking, blinking when Callie cleared her throat and glanced sharply toward her father. “Maybe they’re bowling…” she clarified sheepishly. There had already been entirely to much sex talk at a dinner with her father-in-law. It was freaking her out, making her nervous.

“Dad, I’m glad you’re here, but have you talked to Mom? Do you know what she’s doing here?” Callie changed the subject swiftly since they were free to discuss it. Arizona picked at her now cold food, her other hand playing absently with Sofia’s little socked foot while she listened.

Carlos sighed, shaking his head. “She’s not talking to me, mija.”

“What does she want with Sofia?” Arizona asked, the baby looking at her at the sound of her own name. She couldn’t help smiling back at her. Her daughter really was addicting. And capable of charming anyone. Including, it seemed, her recalcitrant grandmother. But a spot in Sofia’s life was a right, not a privilege, and if Lucia wanted one she was going to have to prove she deserved it.

“She’s always wanted grandchildren…”

“That doesn’t mean she can say the things she’s said about Arizona, and about us, and still expect to get to see Sofia,” Callie declared seriously. “She can’t come around here, hang out outside the nursery, and still refuse to speak to me. And she definitely can’t be allowed to tell Sofia that she doesn’t have two parents who adore her.” Carlos nodded, throat bobbing as he swallowed. “We’re all going to hear that from strangers, I won’t hear it from my own mother.” She took a deep breath, preparing herself. “I’ve gone this long without a mother. Sofia will never have to know what that feels like. And I won’t let her make my daughter think for a single second that we don’t love her.” She hesitated and Arizona took her hand across the table. “If she wants to talk, we can talk, but she can’t come into our home and say anything about my wife or our family - nothing,” she insisted.

Carlos nodded seriously. “I understand, Calliope. And I’m sorry about your mother. She loves you. She’s just…”

“I know what she thinks about me,” Callie cut in, tone short and sharp. “And don’t say it’s not about me. It’s about me, Dad. And it’s about her,” she nodded toward Arizona, “This is who I am, she is who I love… Whatever she thinks, it’s about us,” Arizona squeezed her hand lightly, “And I wish she would come around, but if she doesn’t, I still have my wife and our daughter. They’re what matter to me. They’re what I need.”

The charged atmosphere lingered in the wake of Callie’s declaration and Carlos fidgeted with his fork, clearing his throat lightly. “I understand, Calliope. I’ll talk to her and maybe we can all talk, together.” Getting a nod from his daughter and a weak smile from Arizona, he mustered a smile of his own. “Where are you two going on your evening out?” he asked, changing the subject almost eagerly. It was hard on him to see his wife and daughter so at odds with each other.

Callie blinked in surprise and met her wife’s eyes. “Oh, I don’t know, actually. Arizona?”

The blonde grinned. “I don’t think we need to go that far, Calliope. I was thinking maybe we could get some good Italian from that place you like…”

Rolling her eyes at her partner’s joke (it slipped her mind sometimes that the name Arizona referred to anything but her wife), Callie smiled, shaking her head. “Very cute,” she commented, adoring the dimples that framed Arizona’s smile. That smile was magic. Super magic, even. That smile made every day of her life better.

“We can have seafood if you’d rather…” offered Arizona sweetly, bobbing her eyebrows.

“Italian sounds perfect,” Callie decided. “And Dad, I don’t know what you’re doing tomorrow, but if you want to come over around six you can get settled in with her before we leave.” She gave him a fond smile. “I know it’s been a little while since you’ve babysat.”

He was on the doorstep precisely at six, ringing the doorbell while Callie was still putting the finishing touches on her outfit, sliding her earrings in and clicking down the stairs in her heels. Arizona hadn’t seen her yet, but she was going to lose it. Her strapless red dress clung to her curves like a second skin, stopping just short of her knees. The black heels would mean that she would be towering over Arizona, but she liked having a little bit of a height advantage. It was hot. And her hair was twisted up into a loose knot at the base of her neck, leaving her shoulders bare. Put it all together and Arizona didn’t stand a chance.

“Calliope,” her father sighed as she opened the door for him, his light blue eyes taking her in. “Darling, you look beautiful.”

Smiling, she kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Daddy. Sofia’s right in here. And she hasn’t eaten yet but our reservations aren’t for a little while, so we could stick around to give her dinner.”

He followed her into the living room, smiling down at his granddaughter in her bouncy, noisy toy. “You should go to dinner, Calliope. I believe Sofia and I can figure out a meal on our own. Can’t we, my dear?” he asked hypothetically of the baby, getting a vigorous rattle as his answer.

“Okay,” Callie agreed, amused. It really was sweet how much the old man loved spending time with his granddaughter. “Well, there are bottles in the fridge that she likes before dinner, and help yourself to anything in there too. She’s got a few toys in the pack and play over there and there are diapers…pretty much anywhere you look.”

Carlos nodded and gave a reassuring smile. “Mija, you don’t need to worry. You just enjoy your date. Remember, I have done this before,” he teased lightly. “You turned out alright, didn’t you?”

“Well then how do you explain Aria?” she shot back teasingly, laughing.

His comeback was delayed by Arizona’s descent down the stairs, Callie’s throat going dry at the first glimpse of her wife’s infinitely amazing legs. The blonde just shook her head when she got a wolf whistle of appreciation from her spouse, smiling when she caught sight of her partner. “No, Calliope, it’s all you, believe me…”

Arizona was the antithesis of shabby in a midnight blue dress that clung to her chest and abdomen before flaring at her hips and flowing into a light, layered skirt that stopped at the knee on one side, the hem of the fabric slanting down toward mid-calf on the other side. Her hair was loose and soft, just a few pieces pulled back from over her ears to the back of her head.

“You both look stunning,” Carlos offered his opinion as Arizona joined them in the living room.

Callie had to put a hand on the arm of the couch to keep from falling over when Arizona bent over to kiss Sofia in her seat. The baby was distracted with her very earnest playing, but she only wriggled away a little from her mother’s kiss on the cheek. “You be good for your abuelo, okay, baby girl? Sleep well, Sofia. Mama loves you,” she said with another kiss before she straightened back up.

Taking her place leaning over the bouncy seat, Callie could feel her wife’s eyes on her backside, could only hope that she was at least attempting subtlety since her dad was standing right there watching. But even if she wasn’t, even if Arizona was standing there with her eyes locked on her ass and her tongue hanging out, it didn’t really matter. Because their relationship was not dictated by her parents, neither the one who had come around nor the one who hadn’t.

Arizona was giving Carlos a final rundown on the emergency numbers and what to do if Sofia somehow managed to do some completely unlikely, impossible thing while Callie escorted her out the door and wished her father a good night. The blonde sighed when she turned in her seat to back the car down the driveway and caught sight of the base of Sofia’s carrier in the backseat. “I miss her already,” she confessed, Callie smiling almost smugly in the seat beside her. Her wife was a sweet, dorky mom and it was the greatest thing in the world.

“She’s going to be fine. My dad’s great with kids. And we need a night out to stave off our imminent marital boredom, right?” Callie teased. 

Arizona just rolled her eyes. “I never said - you are not boring, Calliope. I am not bored!”

Leaning across the center console, Callie kissed her cheek gently. “Good. Me neither. And have I said yet that you look absolutely beautiful tonight? Because you look absolutely beautiful tonight.”

“You,” Arizona countered simply. “It’s totally you.” She laced their fingers on Callie’s leg, steering the car with one hand. Callie pulled their hands up to kiss the back of Arizona’s which got her a dimpled smile across the car. “I’m going to have the most gorgeous date in the place.” 

Her finger brushed Callie’s wedding band and she lingered to push it back and forth against her joint for a second. This woman was wearing her ring, had given her their child, loved her. It still struck her from out of nowhere sometimes and it was just as entirely awesome as it had been the first second she’d ever put that ring on her finger, the first second they’d ever seen Sofia’s heartbeat on the ultrasound, and every single time Callie repeated those three little words.

Callie could see it in her eyes and she dragged their hands back to her lips. “I have a request for tonight,” she murmured against soft skin.

“Anything in the world,” Arizona promised. And she meant it. Anything at all that Callie wanted, she would do for her.

“I don’t want to talk about my mom.” Blue eyes glanced sideways at her, not expecting that. “She’s here, and that’s weird. And maybe she’s coming around, that would be nice. And maybe she’s not, who knows? But tonight is not about her. Tonight is about you and me. And she can spoil tomorrow night, but I want this night for us.”

Nodding, it took Arizona a long moment to swallow the lump in her throat. “Alright…” Callie kissed her hand again before she gave it back.

They had a few minutes before their reservation so Arizona parked down the block from the restaurant and quickly rushed to get the door for Callie, giving her a charming smile as she offered her arm. “Oh, pulling out all the stops tonight?”

“You better believe it, baby!” answered Arizona cheerfully, walking them slowly along the waterfront sidewalk. The moon was rising over the cityscape and Callie looked like she could be glowing under the light. Or maybe that was just how she looked to Arizona herself, but if it was just her she could live with that. Everyone else was just missing out. And the two of them got enough glances their way as it was even when they weren’t dressed to kill.

The wine and conversation flowed easily during their meal and they opted to take another walk in the fresh air before they went home. There were clouds out after they left the restaurant and Arizona got their umbrella from the car for their stroll, holding Callie’s hand with her other hand. Glancing sideways at her, the blonde felt almost shy. Calliope was stunning.

“What’s that look for?” Callie asked, her voice drawing Arizona back to the present.

Swallowing before she answered, Arizona smiled and squeezed her fingers. “Everyone in there was looking at you…”

Callie’s answering smile was slow, amused. “Were they? I didn’t notice,” she said, swinging their joined hands lightly between them. She hadn’t been able to take her eyes off of Arizona all night. And she’d noticed more than one appreciative glance directed at her wife as well. “Well, I’m going home with you, so that sucks for them…”

“Yeah, it does,” Arizona agreed with a laugh, bumping her shoulder against her partner’s arm. “Hey, I went by the courthouse today during lunch…”

“Is that where you were? I paged you when you didn’t show up, but Teddy said she thought you were in surgery…”

Arizona bit her lip. “I got the papers and stuff. I mean, if you still want to…”

“Arizona Robbins, we are signing those papers,” Callie cut her off. “We’re getting…” she paused to consider, “remarried, or legalized? Whatever the right word is, we’re doing it.” She hugged her wife’s arm. “We can sign them tomorrow at work with the notary and drop them in the mail.” Pulling her against her side, Callie kissed the side of her head. “Unless you want to make an occasion out of it…” she offered. As far as she was concerned they were married, and Arizona had expressed the same sentiment herself, but she wanted her wife to have whatever she wanted.

“Mailing it in is perfect,” Arizona agreed. “This is a technicality. A pretty important one, but still a technicality.” Pulling them to a stop, she turned to look out at the water, smiling when Callie promptly curled both arms around her from behind and pulled her back against herself. “Thank you for tonight.”

Chuckling, Callie nuzzled her neck, pecking lightly at her skin. “I think you asked me out, actually,” she murmured, nudging hair out of her way so she could get behind Arizona’s ear. She smelled amazing - soap and shampoo and just the tiniest bit of perfume and something that was just Arizona. “So thank you.”

“Is it asking you out if we’re married?” the blonde questioned, unconsciously leaning her head back against Callie’s shoulder.

“We’re on a date, aren’t we?” Callie reasoned.

Smiling, Arizona tilted her chin up so she could get a glimpse at the side of her face. “So if someone else asked you out…?” Callie didn’t respond vocally, just pinched her sharply on the ass in non-verbal rebuke. “Just checking,” Arizona teased, smirking until Callie’s hand turned her face in to meet her lips.

A tongue was immediately seeking entrance and Arizona let her in without hesitation. They were on the street after a delicious meal, with a baby at home that should be happily asleep by now, but the kiss didn’t want to end. Spinning her in her arms, Callie knew she shouldn’t really be groping her wife’s ass on the sidewalk, but she couldn’t force herself to care that much.

“So, this is a date, right?” Arizona breathed between increasingly breathless, sloppy kisses. Their dates had always ended well. Callie mumbled some kind of affirmative before her free hand wound through blonde hair and dragged her back in. “So when I take you home with me…”

“We get naked,” confirmed Callie, nipping her bottom lip for emphasis.

Arizona couldn’t help a moan, feeling the cool metal of the round rail that lined the sidewalk pressing into her back. It was a sharp contrast between the scorching heat of Callie against her front, tongue in her mouth and fingers in her hair (and on her ass). “Nngh, okay, home now,” she ground out desperately. That red dress was tormenting her and it was time for it to stop.


	8. Chapter 8

Making out against their front door wasn’t exactly what Arizona had had in mind when she’d requested that they stop making out on the street to go home, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to stop Callie. She’d just fumble blindly in the dark for the keyhole while her wife sucked on her neck in between kisses she never wanted to end.

And then the porch light snapped on overhead and Callie went stiff in an instant. “Oh my God, it’s like high school,” she whispered as she flashed back to years ago and the dozens of times she’d been busted making out by her father.

Unable to help herself, Arizona burst out laughing loudly. The door opened behind her and she hastily covered her mouth. “Good evening, Carlos,” she greeted him, wiping her lips and trying to restrain her giggling.

“Calliope, Arizona,” he said dryly, his eyes politely averted. His hand scratched lightly at his beard. “Did you have a nice dinner?”

“Very nice,” Callie agreed, swiping a thumb across her own lips and one hand down the side of Arizona’s neck. There was nothing she could do to hide the remnants of the marks she’d left on her skin, but the lipstick could be removed and she did it as quickly as she could, catching Arizona still struggling not to laugh. “How was Sofia? Did she give you a lot of trouble at bed time?”

He stepped out of the doorway as Callie pulled Arizona into the house, shaking his head. “No, of course not. She’s wonderful. An angel.”

“She gets it from her Mami,” Arizona said smugly, dimpled smile firmly in place. 

Callie had to restrain herself from smacking her wife’s butt in front on her father. She knew exactly what she was doing to her with those eyes, that smile.

Fortunately for them, Carlos was cognizant of the untimely interruption he’d caused and he was already reaching for his coat on the rack. “I believe she likely gets it from both of her mothers,” he agreed. “And I appreciate you both giving me so much time with her tonight, but I think I should get back to your mother.”

Nodding, Callie kissed his cheek lightly. “Thank you so much for babysitting. I’ll call you tomorrow when we get home?” The tentative plan was to have Carlos and Lucia over for dinner and sure to be awkward, uncomfortable conversation. They’d toyed with the idea of going out, but Arizona hadn’t wanted to drag Sofia out with them, and she had a sneaking suspicion that being in their own home would help Callie feel more secure.

“Of course. Good night.” He left them with a kiss on each of their cheeks, Arizona sliding an arm around Callie’s waist as they watched him go down the walkway to the driveway.

Turning the porch light off only when he was in his car, Callie flipped the deadbolt on the front door and slipped her own arm behind Arizona. “Can we go check on baby girl?” the blonde asked eagerly even as Callie was leaning in to get back to her neck.

Huffing a laugh into her skin, Callie satisfied herself (not really) with a quick kiss under her ear. “Yeah, let’s do it,” she agreed willingly, Arizona lacing their fingers with a laugh and steering her to the stairs. The zipper in between the blonde’s shoulder blades was teasing Callie as she followed her wife upstairs and she couldn’t resist tugging it downward, just smirking at the sharp blue look over a bare shoulder that got her.

“Behave yourself, Calliope,” Arizona chided her, the single strap of her dress the only thing keeping it from sliding off. She stumbled when warm lips kissed her back, an arm around her waist keeping her steady. “Five minutes,” she requested, suddenly breathless.

Callie nipped firmly at the base of her neck. “I’m timing you,” she agreed in a growl, releasing the arm around her waist but not zipping the dress back up. Arizona would just have to deal for five minutes. And if gravity wanted to help her out and get her wife naked, she wasn’t going to take that possibility away.

The eager lust was tempered by the quiet darkness of their sleeping daughter’s bedroom, the glowing nightlight making it easy to see her sweet face relaxed in sleep. “She’s awesome,” Arizona sighed, leaning into the crib to pull the blanket back up over her tiny body. It wouldn’t last long - Sofia squirmed and sprawled in her sleep like her Mami. Arizona happened to think that it was one of the sweetest things she could have in common with her mother.

“She is,” Callie agreed warmly, one arm curled up Arizona’s back so she could absently trail her fingers through blonde hair. “She’s not going to be traumatized by watching me fight with my mom tomorrow, is she?”

Arizona glanced sideways at her, lips pursed. “No, Calliope. She’s going to be fine. Are you - are we talking about her now?”

“No,” decided Callie, shaking her head. “We’re going to let our baby sleep, and we’re going to go to our room, and you’re going to make love to me…”

Swallowing hard, Arizona nodded. She could definitely do that. Anything Callie needed from her to get through this, she would get it - without reservation. 

Long steps drove them backward, kissing again before they reached the door. Heels were kicked off and left abandoned in the hall. Hopefully they wouldn’t make too much noise if they tripped over them in the morning. Arizona shrugged out of her loosened dress and Callie instantly ducked her head to explore the newly revealed flesh, both arms pulling her in so hands could explore bare skin.

Callie could only groan when Arizona squirmed free and she got a look at the whole picture. Matching pink lace made her smile even as it made her throat go dry. Stunning. Gorgeous. Breathtaking. She was the luckiest person in the world. Not only was she with someone who was heart-stoppingly beautiful, but her wife was also thoughtful, loving, sweet, protective, charming, strong, and supportive.

Quick fingers made sport of her strapless bra and sent it to join the dress on the floor. As good as underwear looked on Arizona, it inevitably looked better on the floor after she took it off of her. Lips closed around a tight, hot nipple and Arizona bucked in her arms. 

“Calliope, bed,” the blonde gasped out, fingers wound into the back of Callie’s hair to undo the knot. She needed to get her hands in the thick, soft, dark hair. But she couldn’t do it once her knees gave out. Callie switched to the other breast and the hand that wasn’t pushing her panties down her ass went to cover the side she’d just left. “Cal-” she couldn’t finish, just gasp as a stumble landed them right on the very edge of bed for a split-second before they tumbled to the floor in a naked heap.

Or at least one of them was mostly naked. Somehow Callie’s clingy red dress was still hanging around, unfortunately. Arizona was quick to rectify that while her lover was laughing helplessly into her chest, finding the zipper, dragging it down, and peeling the sides of the fabric away from smooth flesh. Callie sat up to push it down her chest and Arizona let out a groan of appreciation and gratitude as her eyes drank in all the cleavage. 

“How do we always end up on the floor?” Callie mused with a wide smile, sitting up on her knees so Arizona could shove the dress further down her hips.

“Sorry,” Arizona offered sheepishly even as she grinned back at her. “We can get on the bed.”

Callie just kissed her swiftly before standing up to shuck her dress off entirely, shimmying out of her underwear at the same time. Arizona was left sitting stunned on the floor as her wife scrambled up onto their bed. “Are you going to join me or just stay down there all night?” requested Callie, dropping her bra over the edge of the bed and unintentionally landing it directly on top of Arizona’s head. She burst into laughter when the blonde head popped into view over the edge of the mattress with one cup covering half of her face like the strangest eye patch in the world.

Growling, Arizona pulled it off her head and tossed it aside, ridding herself of the last of her clothing before diving onto the bed with her wife. “Is something funny, Calliope?” she asked, smirking as she leaned in, hands on either side of her head as she stretched out above her.

Callie’s giggling was only cut off by a moan when a leg slipped between her thighs, providing very distracting friction. “Not anymore,” she said, leaning up to meet her lips. “Arizona…”

Knowing exactly what she needed, a hand slid in between them and down. “Oh, that really isn’t funny, is it?” she teased, dipping her head again to kiss gasping, needy lips. “I love you,” she whispered as she swiped a thumb across the Latina’s clit, working her up slowly. At least, that was what she intended to do. In reality, after only an all too brief stretch of time, Callie’s hips were bucking helplessly, her orgasm shooting like fire through her veins, her heart, her lungs, out the top of her head and the soles of her feet. Watching her come, Arizona was left breathless herself. “Wow,” she murmured, pecking kisses beneath her jaw and slumping into her while the brunette tried to collect enough wits to catch her breath.

“Oh my God, thank you,” Callie gasped, able to feel Arizona’s lips twitch in a smile against her neck. She curled an arm around her wife’s shoulders, trailing her fingers back and forth across the top of her arm. “I love you.” She turned her head to plant a breathless kiss on her forehead, catching her chin with her free hand and coaxing her head up to meet her lips for a kiss.

Arizona’s smile grew when she felt the gentle pressure dumping her onto her back. Anything Callie wanted from her, she would get it. And if that included her wife kissing a path down her body, then goody for her.

It was much less relaxed and fun to give Callie what she needed the next afternoon when she knew that it would likely involve tears and accusations and complete disregard for her place in her own family from her mother-in-law. But she loved her wife, so she would do it. She took comfort in snuggling her face into Sofia’s sweet little neck while she moved them around the living room and waited for the doorbell to ring.

Callie insisted that she was fine, but she was also cooking in the kitchen and had rather manically shut down Arizona’s offer to help. So the blonde was dancing their daughter around the other room, simultaneously entertaining the baby and relaxing herself. She’d mocked Cristina and Meredith more than once about their favorite form of stress relief, but she definitely needed to dance it out right now.

Holding Sofia up at eyelevel with both hands, she stole a quick kiss from the baby and turned her from side to side gently to get her daughter in on dancing. She spun when Callie’s voice asked from behind her, “Having fun?”

Sofia was grinning and giggling in the completely adorable way she had, and Arizona hopped them rhythmically to where Callie was in the doorway. “She’s having fun. And she’s pretty amazing at relieving stress,” she answered. “Want to give her a try? You two can dance it out for a little while and I’ll keep an eye on the kitchen,” offered Arizona.

The baby reached for her eagerly and Callie took her with a smiling sigh as her baby squirmed in her arms. “She’s stress relief? Do I look stressed?” Arizona just arched an eyebrow and didn’t bother replying. Callie caught her arm before the blonde could duck toward the kitchen. “Dinner’s going to be fine on its own. And you’re pretty good stress relief yourself.” Her expression was already guarded in preparation for her mother’s arrival, her fingers unintentionally tight on Arizona’s arm. “Dance it out with us?” she pleaded.

Arizona was already winding their fingers together, bobbing to the music. “Calliope, I would dance it out with you anytime, anywhere,” she promised with a smile as she spun her wife and baby playfully. Sofia was overjoyed with the whole thing, the music and the dancing and her mothers, squealing and wriggling to participate.

And, of course, when the interruptions came, they came simultaneously, the timer in the kitchen chiming only seconds before the doorbell rang. Exchanging glances, Arizona slipped an arm under Sofia’s butt and nodded toward the front door. “I’ll get dinner out?” Callie checked, grateful for even the momentary reprieve.

“I’ll get the door,” confirmed Arizona with another nod, bouncing Sofia on her hip. “Go,” she coaxed, pecking a quick kiss to her wife’s lips. “We’ll play nice, I promise.” Sofia giggled. “We’ll lay some of the old Robbins charm on her,” Arizona said, winking and grinning.

Callie couldn’t help answering her grin in spite of her nerves. Who the hell knew? That could work. Arizona was very charming. And Sofia was the cutest little baby on the planet. “I’m in love with you,” she whispered, feeling some of the tension drain as she looked into the blue eyes that she lived for. No matter what her mother said, she had these two. She had her family already and nothing anyone said could take them away from her.

Arizona’s next breath was shaky and she stole another quick kiss. “Calliope, you’re going to make me cry. I can’t cry right now! I have to go answer the door and you need to make sure dinner’s not burning!” The doorbell chimed again and Arizona squared her shoulders. “I’m in love with you too,” she stated, just for the record, as she backed away and turned the stereo off. “Now go in the kitchen before I cry…”

Flipping on the porch light revealed Carlos’ tentative smile and Arizona waved for him to let himself in, her arms full of still squirmy baby. “Arizona, Sofia, good evening,” he said, greeting them both with light kisses on the cheek. “Lucia, this is the girls’ house. It’s very nice, isn’t it?”

The older woman glanced around but remained noncommittal, not saying anything. 

“We like it,” Arizona chimed in to fill the silence. “We’re talking about painting the living room though. Callie always says it’s like an Easter basket in here with all the pastels. Of course, between work and this one,” she hoisted Sofia in demonstration, “it’ll be a while before we’ll be able to do it anyway. Plenty of time to argue about paint colors.” She realized she was rambling, talking babbling nonsense in front of her in-laws, but she just couldn’t seem to make her mouth stop moving. Damn. And Sofia was too little yet to knowingly help break the awkwardness. Instead she just sat there adorably trying to suck on all five fingers at once. Not particularly helpful, but damn cute nonetheless.

Arizona couldn’t help feeling grateful when Callie rushed through the swinging door to make her appearance, fastidiously brushing invisible lint off of her pants. “Hey, Dad, Mom,” she greeted them, hugging her father and receiving a visibly tense and awkward hug from her mother. “Welcome to our home. Come in. Dinner just came out of the oven.”

The meal conversation was carried by Arizona and Carlos, Callie distracting herself with feeding Sofia while Lucia just ate silently. She would respond politely, if a bit coolly, if spoken to directly, but remained stubbornly quiet otherwise. But between Arizona, Sofia, and Carlos, there was little dead air.

The transition to the living room went quiet again, Arizona reluctantly putting Sofia in her little spinning, bouncing, noisemaking toy that Alex had given her (and she was more than happy to have grown into). She was quick to sit down close beside Callie on the couch, one hand supportively on her knee while the other arm stretched out behind her on the top of the couch. Interestingly, the Torres parents were seated on the love seat but there was noticeable space between them, each sitting up against an armrest. At least they weren’t facing a united front.

Carlos cleared his throat to break the silence, sending a look sideways at his wife. “Darling…”

“I don’t agree with this,” Lucia started, Callie sucking in a sharp breath and going stiff. “It’s not right and it’s not what you were raised to believe…”

Arizona put a supportive hand on her back but waited to see what Callie would say. She looked undeniably wounded but she gathered herself. “Mom, I know what I believe, and how I feel about Arizona isn’t wrong.” She smiled sadly and her hand found Arizona’s on her leg. “You know, we got asked to be taken off of a case a few weeks ago, not because of anything that we did, but because the mother of our patient saw each of us individually with our daughter and went to the Chief of Surgery and told him that she didn’t want us helping her daughter anymore because we are married and women.” 

Arizona wasn’t even looking at her in-laws for their reaction, keeping her eyes locked on Callie. In the immediate aftermath of that incident she’d been the one who’d been upset and Callie had calmed her down. Clearly it had had more of an effect on her partner than she’d realized. “Calliope…”

Turning her head, Callie gave her a reassuring smile, feeling the hand on her back rubbing gently and she squeezed their fingers. “I don’t know what her she was afraid of exactly, but I think she must be a terribly lonely, frightened, angry person to be so against people loving each other,” she said slowly, looking directly at her mother as she spoke. “And I know that it’s not how I was raised, but I love Arizona. I love her the way that you love Daddy,” Lucia’s mouth dropped open just slightly and she exchanged looks with her husband, “And I believe that the God I believe in, the one who made me and made her, I believe he made us for each other.” She let out a deep breath. It hadn’t been a long speech, nor a Robbins level declaration, but she still needed a breath. Arizona’s forehead leaned against her shoulder and she turned her head to kiss her hair lightly.

“Calliope…” Carlos murmured, his slow smile pleased and proud.

“And we love our daughter the way you both love me and Aria, and the way Arizona’s parents love her and Tim,” Callie continued. “And I understand if you can’t bend on this, Mom, really, I do. But I’ll tell you this right now, Sofia will never know how this feels. I will bend for her. Because she’s my daughter. And anything Arizona ever needs from me, she will get. I will bend for her. Because she’s my wife. And wherever we go from here, however much you decide to bend, that’s up to you. I will bend for either of them, but I won’t bend on their place in my life or our family.”

Arizona picked her head up to kiss her cheek, whispering in her ear, “I will paint the entire house any color you want. Tomorrow,” she promised lightly. Callie was devoted to her, to their daughter and their family, and she knew it, had never doubted it, but hearing her laying it out so plainly - it was incredible.

Smiling, Callie turned her head to meet her partner’s eyes. “Not necessary, but thank you. We’ll figure out a good color. No hurry.” Leaning forward, she bumped her nose against Arizona’s. They both looked over when Sofia squealed, slapping a hand to the colorful spinning beads on her toy. She just grinned proudly when she spotted her parents looking at her.

“Callie…” Her attention was redirected back to her mother when she heard her name. She didn’t move away from Arizona, didn’t drop her hand or hide her smile when the blonde’s head returned to its spot on her shoulder. It was Arizona’s favorite way to sit whenever they watched TV, snuggling her head against her shoulder, her chest. “I don’t know how much I can bend,” Lucia said slowly. Callie didn’t speak, just blinked at her while Arizona’s thumb rolled circles across the back of her hand. “But you’re my daughter. You have a daughter. With a woman. It’s a lot to come to terms with. I’m not here to hurt you, Callie. Or to complicate your life. I’m just trying to understand.”

Sighing, Callie nodded. “Okay. But why did that start with being really creepy at my daughter’s daycare? Why didn’t you just call us? Or come with Dad to visit?”

Lucia echoed her exhalation. “Would you have answered the phone? I know I wasn’t gracious or… kind last time we spoke.” Her shoulders slumped and she looked at Sofia. “Your daughter is very sweet, Callie, Arizona.”

The blonde smiled at the oblivious baby, happily unaware that she was being discussed. “She gets it from her Mami,” said Arizona softly. Hearing the word, the tone in her mother’s voice, Sofia looked at them, the grin on her face drawing answering expressions to her parents’ faces.

Lucia cleared her throat lightly and Arizona looked at her. “Your brother, he told me… that who you love doesn’t change you - who you are…”

“No, I don’t guess it does - for him. He’s my, our brother. The fact that I love a woman doesn’t change that for him. He loves me. He loves Callie too. But loving Calliope, being in love with your daughter, does change me. I’m a better person than I was before her. She makes me better, makes me want to be better. And I know that I do the same thing for her.” Callie’s hand squeezed her knee and Arizona couldn’t help grinning.

Lucia’s expression went tight again though at the affectionate display and Callie sighed. “If all this is about Sofia, if you think you’re obligated…”

“Callie…”

“No, listen, this is my life, my family, it’s not some obligation you have to get through to make yourself feel good,” Callie cut in. “If you don’t want to be here, if you don’t want to see me, you don’t have to. I’m okay, I’m happy. We are happy. And if you’re thinking you owe Sofia something, you don’t. She’s not-”

Arizona cut in then, “Callie! Don’t!” She spoke loudly, covering the sound of whatever her partner said next. “You don’t ever say that.” Their eyes locked. “Not ever,” she ordered seriously. “Our daughter would not exist if it wasn’t for you.”

Callie’s expression softened and she touched Arizona’s cheek gently. “I know that. I wasn’t going to say that, I promise.” She nodded slowly and her gaze shifted back to her mother. “What I’m saying is that it’s your choice to love her. If she has two grandmothers is up to you. Whether you have a granddaughter is up to you, Mom.”

Lucia nodded her understanding and took a deep breath. “May I have time? Your father had time, give me time…”

Instead of answering, Callie looked down at Sofia, still playing innocently, and sideways at Arizona. One eyebrow rose in question. Her mother had had the same amount of time to adjust, to deal with this, that her father had, but had stubbornly refused to do it. And it wasn’t just her relationship with Arizona. She’d come out before she’d married George, before she’d ever even met George. She’d had years to deal with this. But her marriage to Arizona Robbins was going to be permanent. And there was a baby now. (Thank God she’d never had a pregnancy scare with George.) If her mother wanted to be a part of her life, this, as it was now, was how it was going to stay. This was what she needed to accept - her wife, their baby.

“Calliope?” Arizona whispered, drawing her back from her thoughts.

“You can have time, Mom, but this going to where we work, hanging out outside the nursery, that’s not okay,” said Callie, squeezing her wife’s hand. “Call and talk if you want to, come visit with Dad, but you can’t go to the hospital and watch our daughter.”

Arizona cleared her throat as she lifted her head. “And if you don’t talk to Calliope, try and fix this, you can’t be around Sofia,” she declared. “You don’t get to be a grandmother if you’re not willing to be a real mother to your daughter.” Blue eyes sought brown, making sure she hadn’t overstepped her bounds. She’d given the same rule to Carlos when he’d first come around again, but Callie hadn’t been a party to that conversation. She relaxed when Callie gave her a nod, their noses nudging again. And she didn’t resist leaning in for a brief, soft kiss.

Lucia’s expression was tight, almost pained, but she nodded brusquely, standing up. Callie was quickly on her feet as well, Arizona only a second behind her. “I think-”

“Do you want to hold Sofia before you leave?” asked Callie quickly, sure her mother wanted to flee now.

Arizona fetched the baby from her toy, her sweet little face going disgruntled at having her playtime disturbed until the raspberry on her tummy made her giggle again. She looked intrigued by the sight of her grandmother, someone unfamiliar, but the older woman didn’t reach for her and she curled shyly into Arizona’s shoulder when Lucia leaned in and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “What a sweet girl you are,” the blonde murmured to her, the tickle of her breath on the baby’s ear making her smile.

“Thank you for dinner,” Lucia stammered, nodding to Arizona and pecking Callie’s cheek before backing away. “Good night.”

She didn’t look back, just marched toward the front door and left Carlos to look after her. “Calliope…”

“It’s fine, Dad,” Callie told him, shaking her head and leaning in to kiss his cheek with both hands on his shoulders. “It’s honestly more than I was expecting. Let’s all just give her some space for a while.”

“Dinner really was lovely,” he said, hugging his daughter lightly. “Thank you both.” He hoisted Sofia up for a hug, the baby giggling when his beard tickled her face. “I love you, Sofia.”

Arizona took care of locking up behind him, leaving Sofia with Callie to get settled on the couch while she went into the kitchen to clean up after their meal. When she returned the baby was yawning sleepily and Callie was staring at a book in the dark, the lampshade tilted to keep light out of Sofia’s face. Arizona took a seat by her wife’s curled up legs, pulling her feet into her lap. “What are you thinking?” she asked when Callie didn’t look away from her book.

“I’m thinking that I never want our kids to feel like she makes me feel,” whispered Callie, one hand stroking soft brown hair where Sofia’s head was nestled against her chest. The book was only held open by her thumb, would be invisible in the dimness if she was actually trying to read.

Arizona could almost feel her heart break. She knew that they wouldn’t always get it right, parents made mistakes, but she knew beyond any doubt that Callie (or she, herself) would never walk away from Sofia (or any other children they might have) because of who they chose to love (nor for any other reason she could imagine). No, their children would never have to feel like this. She hated that Callie felt like this, even with the chance of reconciliation.

“You won’t,” Arizona promised, swallowing hard. “She won’t, they won’t, because we’re never going to turn our backs on them.” Her thumbs unconsciously rubbed the soles of her wife’s feet and she paused. “That doesn’t mean that we have to like who they bring home, do we?” she asked teasingly.

It got the laugh she was hoping for. “Oh, hell no,” Callie agreed, covering the sleeping Sofia’s ear with a hand. “Girl or boy, they’ve still got to be good enough for her.”

Chuckling, Arizona shifted so she could stretch her legs out on the couch as well, one of Callie’s legs in between hers so she didn’t have to stop rubbing her foot. “That’s going to be a short list,” she scoffed. “How do you think I’m doing with your parents? I mean, it’s too little, too late for them to try and object and get rid of me, but I can’t help being kind of curious how I stack up.”

It was Callie’s turn to scoff. “Arizona, you’ve stood up to both of my parents for me and for our family. My dad respects that, trust me. And he’s hated everyone I brought home.” She laughed, smiling down the couch at her wife. “After the George debacle, I heard he showed up at the hospital where we worked in Miami and choked him up against a wall.”

Blue eyes went wide and she licked her lips. “So, it’s good that I haven’t even been able to look at another woman since I met you,” she reasoned, huffing when the Latina poked her sharply in the stomach with her toes. She knew Arizona would never cheat on her, but even joking about it made something in her gut twist sharply.

“It is good,” Callie agreed coolly. “Especially since we still haven’t replaced this couch.”

Arizona’s jaw dropped. “Calliope…!” She only looked more surprised when Callie pulled her feet out of her hands and sat up, one hand holding the sleeping baby to her chest. “Babe…”

“You wouldn’t,” Callie interjected. “I know that,” she said, taking Arizona’s hand as she got to her feet and pulling her up. “Come on, let’s get this one in her bed so we can go to our bed…” she coaxed, tone promising.

She needn’t have bothered with the pleading, Arizona would follow her anywhere.


	9. Chapter 9

The ER was loud and noisy when Arizona arrived to answer her page, sticking her head in the first trauma room to get details. “Dr. O’Malley, you paged?” Unconsciously or not, she never called him George, only Dr. O’Malley.

He was busy, couldn’t spare more than a glance. “Incoming bus with a nine year old girl injured in a car accident. There’s internal bleeding so she’ll need to get to surgery as quickly as possible.”  
Quick fingers combed her hair into a ponytail and Arizona nodded, checking her pockets. “Alright. Did you page Ortho? And Karev?”

“Both,” he confirmed. “And the OR will be waiting on you.”

She left him to his work and weaved through the crowd toward the ambulance bay. Callie was already there and she handed over a pair of gloves and signaled for Arizona to turn around so she could tie her thin yellow gown for her. “You’re here for the incoming kid, right? It looks like we’ll be in the OR together.”

“Good,” Arizona hummed, giving her a smile as she turned back around. “It’s been a while since we operated together. Did you get any details on the case? Because I just heard internal bleeding.”

“Broken rib punctured her lung and her leg was pinned and there’s a lot of damage,” Callie ran down the information she’d been given. “Sounds like we’ll get to spend the day together.”

Arizona smiled but it was strained. “Not exactly how I’d rather do it, but I’ll take what we can get.” The sirens were growing louder in the background. “Did O’Malley say, are the parents coming in or were they in the accident?”

“I’m not sure,” Callie said, shrugging as Alex jogged out to join them. She tied the strings of his trauma gown behind his neck for him.

“We got a kid?” he asked, raising his voice over the siren as the ambulance tore into the bay.

“Internal bleeding and broken bones,” Arizona confirmed as they jogged forward. “The OR is waiting on us.” There was a second ambulance that drove in right behind the first and Meredith and Izzie ran to meet it.

The little girl on their gurney was covered in blood, her body broken, and the three doctors went to work immediately. “We need scans right away and take her straight to the OR,” Callie ordered, feeling a broken hip under her experienced touch. “Pelvic fracture down here. It’s a miracle if she’s not already bleeding out.”

“We’ve got no breath sounds on this side. Might be a collapsed lung,” stated Arizona from the other side of the rolling gurney. “Karev, what about your side?”

“Obvious skeletal trauma to the arm and leg, but it looks more like kid versus car than a typical car accident. The lung’s still up on this side though,” he answered her.

From the other ambulance, the girl’s mother was screaming and started to chase after them. Arizona had to intercept her, both hands holding the woman back. “We’ve got to get her into surgery right now. What can you tell me about what happened?” she asked, frowning as she checked the woman for injuries. “Ma’am, it looks like you hit your head. You were in the accident too?” She got no answer but a struggle to break free and she determinately steered the patient into a wheelchair as Meredith appeared with one. “Grey, what do we know?”

“From what the husband and the EMT said,” she hesitated and Arizona gestured impatiently for her to continue, “It sounds like the car they were in hit the girl. And then a tree”

Blue eyes went wide. Damn. “Okay, well, you handle the Neuro exam and keep us updated. We’ve got the kid in OR 1. Are either of them going to need Ortho? Because Callie’s got her hands full with the little girl.”

The woman in the chair’s head came up, her eyes focusing. “You…” Her voice was hoarse and rough.

Arizona frowned. Was that accusation she heard in her voice? “Ma’am? Do I know you?”

“You’re the one,” she had to stop and gasp in pain, her hand on her chest, “the one with the wife…”

The two surgeons exchanged surprised glances and Arizona took another look at the patient, recognition sinking in. “Oh… Mrs. Simpson, right?” She lifted both hands and backed away. “My wife is trying to save your daughter’s life, but I’ll go tell her to stop if you’d rather I do that,” she growled, knowing even as she said it that she was being unprofessional and bitter, but unable to help herself. “Grey, I need to get up to the OR, but if you would page your sister, the Chief, and Kepner, send them up, please?”

Spinning on her toes, she left the ER still struggling to regain control of her temper and the tears that went along with it. Damn it. She was better than this. Riding the elevator up to the OR floor, she couldn’t stop the angry tears but wiped them brutally away when the doors chimed and opened. Instead of scrubbing in, she grabbed a mask and joined Callie and Alex in the operating room.

“What are you doing?” Callie asked from her side of the table, hands already covered in blood. “You’re going to need to scrub in. There’s too many bleeders. We need your hands.”

“Actually, we’ve been taken off the case,” Arizona told her reluctantly, meeting her eyes when Callie’s head shot up.

“What?” Alex demanded. “That’s insane, boss. This kid is bleeding out!”

“That’s Kelly Simpson,” said Arizona, knowing that Callie would recognize the name.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” the Ortho surgeon breathed out in disbelief. “Where the hell do they let this kid play?” It had been a few months since her broken arm, but this was her third hospital visit in a year. “I can’t stop right now. If I take my hand out, she’s going to die.”

“I know,” Arizona agreed, nodding. “I asked Grey to page Little Grey, Kepner, and the Chief.”

“What the hell is going on?” questioned Karev anxiously, frowning over his shoulder at his mentor. “Why aren’t you in here?”

Sighing, Arizona chewed on her lip behind the mask she was holding over her face. “This girl’s parents, or at least her mother, asked the Chief that Callie and I not be a part of their daughter’s medical care after they found out we are married to each other.”

He was immediately scowling, brows furrowed over his own mask. “What? That’s some bullshit! Robbins…”

“We don’t have a choice, Alex,” she cut him off gently. “The mother knows we’re up here, and she talked to the Chief last time specifically to ask that we not treat her daughter anymore, so we don’t have a choice. Once Kepner gets in here to take Callie’s place, you and Grey have to handle this because we can’t touch this patient.”

“This is shit,” he repeated stubbornly.

“Yeah, it is,” Callie agreed, drawing his angry eyes. “But we can’t help who we help.”

The beep of the intercom drew their gazes up, Chief Webber in the observation gallery. “Dr. Grey told me what was going on. That’s the Simpson girl?”

“Yes sir,” Arizona answered him. “I paged the other Grey and Kepner to stand in for Callie and myself. We’ll probably need to observe, though.”

He nodded, arms crossed him chest while he scowled down at the OR. He had said last time this had been an issue that he was in disagreement with the parents’ decision, but their hands were tied. “That will be fine, Dr. Robbins. Thank you.”

The two residents were confused when Arizona ordered them to scrub in, Callie instructing Kepner where to hold pressure while she maneuvered her hands out of the way. “But why can’t you do it? You’re both right here…” April asked uncertainly, her voice high and nervous.

“They’re out because the patient’s parents are homophobes,” Alex growled, still frustrated.

“Karev!” Arizona called him down sternly. “It’s true, but don’t say it.”

Callie gave Kepner instructions step by step to reset some of the broken bones while Arizona spotted bleeders for Alex and Lexie. Her fingers were itching to help when the pair started their repairs to a punctured kidney, but she had to keep her hands behind her back.

Commotion in the gallery drew their attention, Arizona frowning behind her mask when she noticed Bailey arguing with the Chief. “What’s wrong?” she called, knowing they could hear her.

“I need you and Torres, now!” Bailey answered her, speaking fast and clearly frantic.

“We’re in surgery. What’s wrong?”

The Chief cleared his throat, one hand on the short woman’s shoulder. “Dr. Bailey’s son Tuck has been in an accident. A bookcase collapsed on him. How’s it going down there? Can you two come out?”

Locking eyes, Callie nodded. Her part of the surgery was done for now. “Alex?” Arizona asked, feeling the tension in him where he was standing beside her. “You got this?” He didn’t say anything but she nodded in understanding. “Chief, could you get Dr. Altman in here, please? We’ve got a collapsed lung we could use a hand on.” He was capable but the way he was feeling, his annoyance at the situation, better safe than sorry.

“She’s on her way,” he assured her.

“You’ve got this, Alex,” Arizona murmured to him. “You’ve done on a collapsed lung before. And Teddy has your back.”

“Robbins! Torres!” barked Bailey from overhead. “OR 2 now!”

“We’re on our way,” Callie promised, praying that the Chief would keep the strong willed surgeon out of the gallery overseeing her son. She couldn’t operate on her friend’s child while her friend was watching. It was unimaginable. And Bailey made a lot of the rules around the hospital and enforced even more, but surely she wouldn’t be allowed into that gallery. Just the thought of watching anyone operate on Sofia made her want to be sick. “I’m going to go see what we’re dealing with,” she told Arizona and their residents. “Call if anything happens in here, we’ll try and talk you through it.”

Arizona left only after her best friend showed up to watch over the operation, finding Callie looking at scans in the scrub room across the hall. Ducking her head to get a look for herself, Arizona groaned. “Oh my God…”

“Yeah,” agree Callie heavily, holding up another shot to the light for her. “All the organs in his abdomen are in his chest.” And while Arizona tended to that, there were plenty of broken bones for her to deal with. “This bookcase must have been enormous. It’s a miracle his head and spine are clear.”

Drawing in a deep breath to steady herself, Arizona turned to the sinks to scrub. God forbid, but if it was Sofia that needed surgery she would want Bailey doing it. The least she could do for her friend was give her son the best of her abilities like she knew Bailey would do if the tables were turned. She was an awesome surgeon. Callie was an awesome surgeon. They could do this.

“We can do this,” Callie said as she joined her at the sink and started her own preparations. “It’s Bailey, though…”

“I know,” agreed Arizona in a whisper. “But if we were the worried parents I know she’d do her best for Sof.”

“Yeah,” said Callie softly, her stomach tightening at the thought.

They got started with Callie fixing bleeders and keeping the field clear for Arizona to put stitches where they were needed. Working together, it was easy to find a rhythm. They didn’t have to talk to know what the other was thinking and they worked efficiently and with meticulous care and focus. Arizona was restoring the organs to where they needed to be while Callie set bones when the phone rang on the tray behind them, breaking the quiet suddenly.

“It’s Dr. Karev,” the nurse read out the screen.

“Put it on speaker,” Arizona ordered. “Alex, how’s it going?”

“Altman got the lung back up but a guy got impaled on a fence so she had to leave to help Yang and the kid keeps bleeding and I can’t find the leak,” he said, voice strained.

“Okay, it’s okay,” she said, closing her eyes briefly as she tried to concentrate. “You checked the liver and kidneys?”

“Yeah, boss.”

Breathing deeply, she stared into the body she was working on. “Okay, and no bleeders that you can find? Did you run the bowel? The first time she was here, wasn’t it for something intestinal?” She couldn’t remember details, there had been a lot of patients since then and Karev had done the surgery himself.

“Okay, there’s a small tear, but nothing that should be making her bottom out like this,” he said, still anxious.

“Take a breath, it’s okay,” she coached him patiently. “Think. You can do this, Alex. I wouldn’t have left if I didn’t know you could do it.”

“You left because that lady’s an idiot and Bailey’s kid needs you,” he shot back, nerves getting the better of him.

Callie met Arizona’s eyes and the blonde sighed. She wasn’t going to hold it against him. “Kepner pulled a splinter of bone out from behind the pancreas. Check around the portal vein,” suggested Callie.

They could both hear his sigh of relief and Arizona sent a grateful look across the table. If they weren’t busy saving another child, she could kiss her right now. Instead she had to limit herself to brushing fingers as she moved Tuck’s liver back where it was supposed to be and Callie checked the integrity of his ribs.

“Thanks,” Alex said gruffly through the phone.

“Keep the line open,” requested Arizona. “Tell me what you’re looking at.” She wasn’t in his OR but it didn’t mean she couldn’t still teach him.

Physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted by the time they were finished, Arizona scrubbed out and found Alex waiting in the OR hallway. His surgery had been a success but he was clearly still frustrated that she’d been kept out of it. “Boss…”

“Don’t worry about it,” she advised him, rolling her shoulders and resting her hands on her hips. “You pulled it off and you called for help when you needed it. You did good. I’m proud of you.”

That earned her a smirking smile and their elbows bumped deliberately as she turned. Callie joined them and the three started toward the waiting room. Mrs. Simpson had had her head wound bandaged and she rose from her seat at the same time that Bailey turned toward them, still in her scrubs and pacing.

Patting Alex on the shoulder, Arizona followed him, leaving Callie to reassure Bailey. Whether their patient’s mother liked it or not she was still the head of Peds. She let Alex do the talking this time, though. “Your daughter’s injuries were extensive, and the best surgeons available in the state to help were sidelined,” he said pointedly, Arizona clearing her throat beside him. “But a team of residents and I made the repairs under their supervision, so whether you like it or not, you still owe your daughter’s life to them.”

“Dr. Karev, walk away now,” Arizona ordered sharply, grateful for his support but not needing his attitude to get him suspended. “I’ll talk to you later, Alex,” she insisted when he shot her a look. Mrs. Simpson looked distraught when Arizona met her eyes without flinching. “Ma’am, your daughter came through her surgery but we’ll need to keep an eye on her for a few days to make sure there are no complications from her very intense procedure.” She was utterly cool and professional. “I’ll have a nurse come get you whenever you can go see her.”

Turning on her heels, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before crossing the waiting room to where Callie was talking to Bailey. She couldn’t have been more surprised when her friend immediately pulled her down to her level and threw both arms around her neck in a hug. “Arizona, I don’t - I can’t thank you enough…”

Patting her friend’s back lightly, Arizona sighed and nodded. “Bailey, of course. You’d do the same for us if it was Sofia.” It still made her guts clench to think about.

The shorter woman was wiping tears from her face as Arizona leaned back, Callie’s hand finding hers and winding their fingers together. “Of course. Because I want the best for my child the way I know you do too. And the best is you, but if you can’t have you, you want me,” she declared, a hint of her usual confidence coming through in her voice.

Arizona just gave her a look, surprised. “Um, not that I’m not glad to hear that, but what was that about…?”

“That woman was listening,” said Miranda, still wiping her eyes and drying her fingers on her scrub pants. “Wanted her to know that she made a mistake. Even if her kid is going to be fine, it’s because of you two.”

“The Chief told you about that?” she asked, glancing sideways at Callie. They normally stayed out of the rumor mill around the hospital, being a stable, happily married couple, but this could put them right back in the mix if it got spread around. To say nothing of their medical reputations.

“He did,” Bailey confirmed. “But I won’t say anything to anybody. None of their damn business.” She scoffed. “I had a patient refuse to let me operate on him because I’m black,” she told them. “I’m sorry for him, but there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s on his head if he decides he doesn’t want the best for himself,” she declared firmly. “And it’s on hers if she refuses the best for her daughter.” She nodded toward the seated Mrs. Simpson, the stranger’s eyes lingering on them.

Callie smiled, wrapping an arm around their friend’s shoulders. “Come on, let’s go check on Little Tuck.” Bailey could be harsh on her students sometimes, particularly ones who screwed up, but there really was no better friend someone could ask for.

They left Bailey with her son when the Chief signaled them from the hallway, joining him outside of the recovery room. “Sir, I don’t know what you heard, yes, Karev did get a little short with Mrs. Simpson, but…”

“Dr. Robbins,” he interjected, deep voice almost amused. “Dr. Karev is not in trouble. And neither of you have anything to defend yourselves about. You handled a tricky situation as smoothly as was possible while abiding with a patient’s request.” His arms were across his chest but he looked calm. “How’s Bailey’s son?”

“He’s going to be watched like a hawk, so I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Callie commented, smiling at their fellow surgeon’s protective ‘Mama Bear’ persona. “And Kelly Simpson’s going to be fine too, right?”

Dr. Webber nodded to them both. “I did her post-op exams myself. That was good work you all did in there. The Simpsons should have no reason to be upset. And you’ll congratulate your residents for me, won’t you?”

“Sure thing,” Arizona answered him, smirking. “Thank you again for your discretion with the situation.”

He sighed, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “Of course. Though, speaking for myself, I’d just as soon they go to Seattle Pres next time their daughter is in an accident,” he confessed. “If they’re willing to settle for lesser surgeons, they should just go to a lesser hospital, don’t you agree?”

Callie couldn’t help chuckling, surprised by his candor. Even Arizona’s smirk became a laughing grin. “I guess that’s a good point, sir. You should suggest that to them, maybe.”

“Maybe I will,” he agreed, giving her shoulder another squeeze. “If you’ll excuse me, doctors. Very good work today, both of you.”

Arizona leaned into Callie’s side as they watched him go, not entirely professional posture but nothing scandalous either, and sighed. “We’re a good team.”

Callie’s tone was dry as she replied, “Of course we are. We already knew that.” She didn’t resist wrapping an arm around Arizona’s shoulders, turning her head in to rest against blonde hair. It was distinctly less professional, but still chaste contact. “Are you tired? Because I’m tired and I didn’t run two surgeries at the same time. Which I found very hot, by the way. You’re sexy when you’re being all bossy.”

“Oh yeah?” asked Arizona with a laugh. “I’m sexy when I boss people around?”

“Yes,” Callie confirmed simply, smiling to herself as she felt Arizona’s arm slip under her lab coat to curl around her waist. “You’re sexy, period, actually.”

The blonde’s head fell back as she laughed and she pecked a kiss under her wife’s jaw. “Okay then, does it do anything for you if I tell you that we’re going to go get Sofia from the daycare and then we’re going to stop and pick up a pizza on the way home? No discussion.”

“Oh baby, you are turning me on!” Callie answered with a laugh of her own. Arizona used her arm to turn them away from the recovery room and toward the locker room. “But is it really bossing me around if you’re going to drive, so you’ll be the one picking up the pizza?”

A hand slipped down to squeeze her ass, the contact hidden behind the tails of the Latina’s lab coat. “You can call and order it, Calliope. And carry the diaper bag,” she added, ruining the bossy effect by giggling.

“Stop, please, it’s too much,” Callie laughingly pleaded, jumping when the hand on her butt pinched sharply.

Feeling lighter than she had all day, Arizona snuggled closer into her wife’s side. This woman could make her feel good no matter what was bringing her down. It was incredible. And it was a feeling she never wanted to lose. “You just wait until we get home. We’ll see how much you can handle,” she promised teasingly, biting her lip.


	10. Chapter 10

Arizona picked on her sometimes about her attachment to her phone, but not even her (surprisingly clean) game of Words With Friends against Mark could keep her attention when she stepped up to her front door and heard the crunch of glass under her foot. Frowning, she looked up from her phone to see that the glass pane that made up the top half of the door had been shattered, a large hole in the bottom corner.

Alex came jogging up the driveway behind her, having gone back to the car to get his jacket, and he didn’t immediately notice why she hadn’t already opened the door. “Torres, what’s…?” Trailing off as he saw the glass, he guided her backwards with both hands. “You call the cops, I’m going to check it out,” he said, moving her deliberately behind him.

A hand on his arm stopped him. “Alex…”

Her voice was hoarse, choked suddenly, and he frowned at her. “What? What’s up?”

“Arizona…” she had to stop, swallow the rock that it felt had suddenly appeared in her throat, “She and Sofia, they should have been here hours ago…” They were in a stretch where it felt like they were working opposite schedules and Arizona had worked all night and clocked out after lunch, taking Sofia home with her, while Callie had been scheduled until after dinner. But the house was dark and quiet. “Alex…”

He glanced behind him at the house and dug in the pocket of his jeans for his phone, searching the contact list for a second. “You call the cops,” he repeated, pressing his own phone to his ear and blinking when his boss’ cell went straight to voicemail. They were surgeons - they never just turned their phones off. “I’m calling Tim,” he promised when Callie’s expression fell. “Stay here,” he told her again, forcing her to stay against the short privacy wall that hid the front door from street view. “Dude, where’s your sister?” he asked as he nudged the front door further open and flicked the lights on.

Callie explained the situation to the police, including her absent wife and daughter, and they promised to send a car over as soon as possible. As soon as her phone was disconnected from that call, she was calling Arizona’s phone, anxiety only increasing when she heard the blonde’s voice calmly, even cheerfully, say, “You’ve reached Dr. Arizona Robbins. I can’t answer the phone right now but if you’ll leave a name and a number, I’ll call you back as soon as I can. Thank you and have a nice day!”

Cursing under her breath and fighting the urge to burst into tears, Callie slumped back against the wall. She could deal with losing possessions, things, but she was going to lose her mind if something had happened to Arizona or Sofia. Just thinking about it made her want to be sick and cry without stopping.

Alex returned after a few minutes, shaking his head. “They’re not here. The house got ransacked though - the TVs, jewelry, the video games.” Unconsciously, Callie was fidgeting with the heart pendant on her necklace. They both wore them pretty much daily, as well as their wedding rings. Everything else could be replaced. “You can’t reach her?”

“No,” Callie answered him, not realizing that she was trembling until Karev guided her off the wall and into a seat on the rocking porch swing. “Alex…” she whispered, pleading. He was only here to go over a case with Arizona. She could have been alone trying to deal with this… Her fingers caught his arm and dug in hard.

“You talked to the cops, right?” he asked instead, knowing that nothing he said or did would make her feel better at the moment.

“Yeah,” she said simply. “They’re going to send a car over, and they said,” a shuddering breath, her control nearing its end, “they said that we should make a list,” another ragged breath, “a list of what’s missing,” a whimper, for all she knew her wife, their baby were missing, “and they need a,” a hiccup, almost a sob, “a pic-picture of…”

Moving to sit beside her, Alex wrapped an arm around her shoulders, surprised when she turned into his chest and held on tight, winding her fingers into his t-shirt. “It’s going to be okay,” he said gruffly. “They were probably out when it happened, you know?” he offered. “I mean, Robbins is tough. If somebody busted in the front door, you know there’d be teeth or blood where she beat them down with a chair or something,” he reasoned in an attempt to be reassuring. It earned him a hoarse, painful sounding chuckle and a weak smile.

“Yeah?” Callie asked, pleading for comfort. It wasn’t as if he was wrong though. If Arizona had been there, there would be signs of a fight. She wouldn’t let anything happen quietly.

“Of course,” confirmed Alex with confidence he didn’t entirely feel. “Robbins isn’t afraid to fight dirty either.”

They could see the police cruiser’s lights at the same time that brakes were audible in the driveway and Tim tore around the wall a second later. “Callie…” His own anxiety was in his eyes but his expression was rigidly controlled. “We’ll find them,” he promised, huffing when she hugged him hard. “Hell, you know if she was here when it happened there’d be more destruction.”

“That’s what Alex said,” Callie gasped out.

Tim guided her head up to meet his eyes while Alex went around them to talk to the police officer. “And hey, you know if she was here when it happened that she would still be here,” he told her, voice low. “She would never let anything happen to Sofia. She’s probably just at the store or something…”

“They why isn’t she answering her phone?” she countered. There was no relaxing until she had her wife and daughter in her arms but she could appreciate him trying. It was his sister, his niece, they were talking about too.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. But Teddy’s calling her now too. She freaked when she heard me on the phone with Karev. You guys just came home and it was busted into?”

“Yes. And Arizona got off work in the afternoon and got Sofia from daycare so they should have been home the rest of the day,” Callie said. There were a few groceries they needed, but nothing big or urgent that might have warranted a ride to the store. But it wouldn’t be unprecedented for Arizona to take Sofia to the park if the weather was nice. And it was drizzling now but it had been clear this afternoon, hadn’t it? Trying to remember was making her head pound. And she was definitely nauseous now, her stomach rolling. What was unprecedented was the blonde disregarding her phone.

“I’m sure there’s some kind of explanation, Cal,” Tim promised, keeping an arm around her. “Come on,” he coaxed, guiding her over to the pair of police that were talking to Alex.

“Ma’am, sorry about this, but are you the homeowner?” one of the cops asked, his nameplate identifying him as Officer Johnson.

“Yeah, yes, one of them,” answered Callie, grateful for Tim’s reassuring presence.

“And you and your husband weren’t home at the time of the break-in?” Johnson asked.

Blinking, Callie glanced up at Tim, shaking her head. “Oh, no, this isn’t my husband, this is my brother-in-law. My wife’s brother,” she clarified. “But, no, I wasn’t home. My wife should have been though, with our ten month old daughter.”

“Have you been able to reach your wife? If something happened maybe she’s at the hospital?” he suggested.

It was something she hadn’t thought about, but if they had had to go to the hospital, Arizona would have insisted on Seattle Grace. And if they were at Seattle Grace, someone would have called her. Still, she caught Alex’s eye and he nodded, already dialing.

“We’re doctors at Seattle Grace so she would have gone there,” she explained briefly to the officer, hearing Karev grilling whoever was at the ER desk. “I’ve tried to call her, but her phone’s not on for some reason.”

“Okay, well, I hope it’s not the case, but if someone has taken your daughter, we need to get an alert issued as soon as possible,” he said slowly. Tim’s arm was the only thing holding Callie on her feet anymore. “Do you have a recent picture we could have?”

Nodding, tears were choking her when she answered, grinding out, “On the fridge. I’ll go - I’ll…”

“I’ll get it,” Tim interjected gently. “Which one’s the most recent?”

“The one with her and Arizona on the swing,” she told him. “We took her to the park last Saturday when it was so nice out…” If she never got to do that again, she would die. She had to hold herself up with a hand against the wall when he left her side.

Blood rushing through her head made it hard to hear but Tim knew all of Sofia’s vital details so he took care of answering the questions for her when he returned with the picture for the cop. All the sounds just kind of blended together into an unclear cloud of white noise. But the sound of her name, in that voice, the way only she said it, came through loud and clear. “Calliope, what happened?” Arizona was walking quickly down the sidewalk from the other side, apparently unable to park in the driveway between all the extra vehicles, Sofia happy and noisy on her hip. Apparently forgotten in her other hand was a bouquet of lilies. Spotting the broken door, she cried, “Oh my God! Are you okay?!”

Tim spun at his sister’s voice, Alex hanging up his phone and spontaneously slumping against the wall of the house. Callie, already feeling lightheaded, slid hard down the wall to the concrete sidewalk, curled her knees to her chest, and let her control snap like a twig, burying her face in the space between her knees and sobbing.

Handing Sofia quickly off to her brother and dropping the flowers, Arizona knelt in front of Callie, more scared by the sight of her tears than she was by the police and the shattered glass. “It’s okay,” she whispered, not sure what was going on, just that she would make it okay, whatever was wrong. One hand found her wife’s face, fingers slipping through dark hair. “Look at me,” she coaxed softly. “Look at me, Calliope. Whatever’s wrong, I’ll fix it, I promise. I’m here.” Callie lifted her face and her expression made Arizona’s heart break. “What?” she asked desperately. “What happened?”

“You weren’t here,” Callie gasped between hoarse sobs. Arizona frowned, confused, and Callie was suddenly furious and relieved at the same time. It didn’t make sense rationally, but she’d been scared out of her mind and Arizona didn’t even know, she didn’t get it. So she lashed out, shoving her wife’s shoulders hard and sending her tumbling off her knees and onto her butt. “You weren’t here!”

“What?! What did I do?!” Arizona yelped, looking up between Alex and Tim for an explanation.

“You weren’t here,” Tim echoed more softly, leaning over to hand Sofia to a reaching Callie.

Callie snuggled her in tightly, nuzzling her face into her sweet little neck. “What?” Arizona repeated, worried and confused.

“She thought you and Sof were here when the house got broken into and your phone is off or dead or something,” Tim whispered to her, bending over to speak into her ear. “Give her a minute.”

Realizing exactly what Callie was going through (and flashing back to the sinkhole when she’d been on the other side of overwhelming anxiety over her wife and at that time unborn daughter), Arizona didn’t bother righting herself, just crawled back to her family and pulled her wife’s knee out of her way so she could wrap her arms around them both. “I’m so, so sorry, Calliope,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I’m sorry!”

Stepping back from them, Tim talked briefly with the cops, who happily gave him the picture of Arizona and Sofia back and instructed them to bring a list of the stolen items to the police station as soon as possible so they could get the report for insurance.

The police left and Alex and Tim started sweeping up the broken glass, looking for something to board up the window while Tim called Teddy to let her know that everything was okay, leaving Arizona comforting Callie on the ground outside. They were getting soaked, but neither cared. Arizona had shrugged out of her jacket and wrapped Sofia up in it, the hood keeping her head dry. Sensing her parents’ upset, she’d grown squirmy and discontent, whimpering into Callie’s chest and clinging to her mother’s shirt.

Arizona just constantly whispered reassurances to both wife and baby, scratching her fingers gently through black hair. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered for what had to be the thousandth time. “Callie, I didn’t know. We’re okay. Everybody’s okay.”

Hugging the blonde’s arm to her chest, Callie took a deep breath and used her free hand to wipe sticky remnants of tears from her face. “How come you didn’t answer your phone?” she croaked, hating her voice at the moment but unable to help it. “I called you.” She squeezed her wife’s arm to her chest, dropping her face into the crook of Arizona’s arm and kissing her skin. “I called you and Alex called and Tim and Teddy. We must have called you a hundred times, Arizona.”

“I know you did, baby, and I’m so sorry,” Arizona whispered, kissing the side of her head and rocking them, Callie curled as close to her chest as she could get with Sofia cuddled to her own chest and wrapped in Arizona’s jacket. “My phone got killed at work. One of the kids stole it out of my pocket and threw it on the floor. It got crushed under the gurney when we were taking him to surgery.” She breathed deeply. “I took Sof out to get a new one but she was fussy when I got her back in the car and I left the phone in the box, I didn’t even think about it. And I am so sorry.”

“Your phone got killed at work by a kid?” Callie questioned dryly, still sniffling. “What was he having done?”

Arizona laughed, nuzzling in to kiss her cheek. “He really did not want to lose his tonsils,” she answered. “I promise, I will never let it happen again. I don’t want you to ever have to feel like you can’t find us again.”

Leaning her head back against the blonde’s shoulder, Callie let out a deep breath. “You better not. I hate this. This sucked! I have never been so scared in my life when I thought something could have happened to you two.”

Nodding, Arizona kept stroking her hair. “I remember,” she whispered, kissing the side of her face again. “Do you forgive me?”

“Arizona,” sighed Callie, looking up at her. “There’s nothing to forgive. You didn’t know the house got robbed and you didn’t know I was a freaked out mess…”

“I’d have driven home a lot faster,” Arizona assured her lightly. “But very safely,” she added when Callie’s eyes narrowed. “Do I get any points back for bringing you flowers just because I think you’re the best wife and mother in the world?” she wondered, unwinding one hand to search the ground blindly for her abandoned bouquet. She held them up and they both smiled when Sofia reached for the colorful plants.

“That is not why you got them, is it?” asked Callie, laughing quietly. Her wife was like magic, making everything else drop away until it was just them, their family.

Arizona scoffed, pretending offense. “Of course it is! Sofia helped me pick them out! Isn’t that right, baby girl? Mami’s the best. That’s why we got the flowers for Mami!”

“Ma-mi!” Sofia confirmed, her little face going wide-eyed when Callie suddenly pulled her up and started smothering her in kisses. Giggling, she tried to squirm away from the overflow of affection. “Mami!” she yelped again, which didn’t help her any, Callie wrapping her up and laughing herself. She didn’t the pronunciation right, but it was undeniably directed at her and that made it perfect.

“Oh my God,” she breathed, feeling her heart racing. “You heard her, right? She said - she called - she called me…”

Arizona was smiling herself, her chin resting lightly on her wife’s shoulder. “I heard her. She called you Mami, Calliope,” she confirmed, happy tears in her eyes. “She knows you’re her Mami.”

Turning her head to catch teary blue eyes, Callie leaned up to kiss her jaw. “Arizona,” she sighed sympathetically. “She knows who you are. She loves you!”

“I know,” the blonde whispered. “Happy crying, believe me. I know she does.” She smiled genuinely. “Believe me, I know that. Knowing that she loves me and that you love me are the two biggest reasons I get out of bed in the morning.”

“She knows her Mama, Arizona.”

Arizona’s reassurance that she did not only know that, but base her entire life on being ‘Mama’ to their little girl was cut off by Sofia turning her head to look straight at her. “Mama,” she said plainly, jumping when her parents both squealed, Arizona taking her turn to drag the baby to her lips for kisses.

Tim came running at the noise, Alex only a few steps behind him. “What’s wrong? What happened?!”

“Sofia, she’s…!” Unable to finish through her excitement, Arizona resumed kissing her daughter’s sweet, perfect face.

“Mama!” she protested, trying again to wiggle away.

“She’s talking?” Tim asked, grinning his dimpled Robbins grin at them. “Since when is she talking?!”

“Since about two minutes ago,” Callie answered, laughing happily, feeling over the moon and pleased and proud. Her baby was amazing. “Unless, has she said it before? Did I miss it and you just don’t want to tell me?” she demanded, turning to look at Arizona’s expression. “Did I miss our baby’s first words?”

Arizona’s mouth dropped open. “No, of course not!” She grinned and laughed. “You were her first word, Calliope,” she hummed happily, leaning forward and kissing Callie softly. Both of her wife’s hands came up to hold her face and she deepened the kiss immediately.

“Okay, that’s our cue to go back inside,” Tim said, retreating. “Good job, Sof!” he called to the baby, waving when she grinned at him happily.

Arizona was breathless when the kiss slowed and stopped, licking her lips and pushing wet hair back from her face. “So, that was about equal parts excitement and getting them to finish the cleaning, right?” she asked jokingly, knowing that it was so much more than that - relief and joy, pride, love…


	11. Chapter 11

The doorbell ringing at eleven at night was an inconvenience, the noise dragging Arizona from the edge of falling asleep on the couch. She sat up slowly and groaned. Callie was already up in the kitchen and she waved her partner back to the couch as she went to answer the door.

“Hang on!” she called toward the door when the chime repeated. Sofia was sleeping through the night now and she was not going to be happy if someone woke her up at this hour. Flipping the light switch and opening the door, she couldn’t help gaping. “Oh my God, what happened?!”

Alex was leaning heavily against a younger man, one arm around his supporter’s shoulder while his other arm and head were hanging toward the ground. “He lives here, doesn’t he, ma’am?” the stranger asked, drawling accent surprising her. “This was the address on his license.”

“Yeah, he did, just bring him in…” She moved outside to get Alex’s other arm over her shoulder. “Who are you?” she questioned, bracing herself to support him on her own.

“I’m Aaron Karev, ma’am. Alex is my big brother,” he answered politely. Now that he mentioned it, she could definitely see the resemblance. “Let me help you get him inside and I’ll get our of your hair. I know it’s late, and he could have just slept in my truck normally, but it’s a full house in there at the moment.”

Callie glanced over her shoulder and spotted the tractor trailer rig parked out on the street in front of her house. “Yeah, sure, let’s go.” They moved in tandem and she led them toward the couch, Arizona already moved out of the way for them to deposit her protégé on the sofa.

Alex grunted when they let him slide onto his side, stretching his legs out. “What happened to him?” asked Arizona, concerned. Callie had to smile when her wife’s mothering instinct led her to kneel next to the couch and push her student’s beanie off his head and check his forehead with the back of a hand, his pulse in his neck.

She jumped when he squirmed away from her, grumbling unintelligibly. “Robbins…”

Obliging him, the blonde sat back on her heels and looked up at the younger man who was scratching his own short hair. “Is he drunk?” she asked, familiar with her longtime roommate’s drinking persona.

“He’s had a long night, ma’am,” the younger Karev answered her in his slow drawl. “And Alex told me he lived with married women, but I’m sorry about the inconvenience.” He nodded to Callie. “I sort of expected one of your husbands to answer the door being that it’s so late, and help me with Alex…”

“Aaron,” Alex growled, stopping him. “They’re married, y’idiot.”

“I know! You told me…” replied Aaron, not getting it.

Arizona was smirking and cleared her throat lightly. “He means to each other,” she clarified. “There are no husbands.”

The younger man blinked, considering that for a moment. “You know, now a lot of the stuff he said makes a lot more sense,” he noted, smiling sheepishly at them both. “I beg your pardon, ladies.”

“No problem,” Callie said with a laugh, leaning over the back of the sofa to swat the back of Alex’s head. “You’re not so drunk that you’re going to sleep on the deathtrap are you?” He just grunted and didn’t move.

“And did you say you were sleeping in a truck?” Arizona asked. “Because any family of Alex’s is welcome here.” She’d only found out he had siblings after having known him for a few years, and even after she found out, he never talked about his family.

“And it looks like Alex isn’t going to be using his old room, so you can take the bed,” offered Callie.

Aaron scratched at the back of his head again, searching for the right answer. “I appreciate that, ma’am, but I’ve got my sister out in the truck, so I should probably stay with her.”

Blinking in surprise, Arizona shook her head. “Aaron, no, please, you’re both welcome. Don’t sleep in the car. Your sister can have Alex’s room and we’ll make you up a bed down here, alright?”

“Do it, dumbass,” Alex growled, belatedly picking his head up to make sure Sofia wasn’t in hearing range. Arizona and Callie would kill him if he accidentally taught their daughter her first curse word. Though he’d personally be kind of impressed if she could manage that particular one.

Arizona gave him a swat to the head anyway and Aaron grinned. “In that case, we’d be much obliged for the hospitality. Thank you.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, gesturing toward the door. “I guess I’ll just go get Amber?” he checked, moving when Callie gave him a reassuring smile.

He was quickly back on the porch, a duffle bag on a strap across his chest and a young teenage girl asleep in his arms. “Alex’s room is just up here,” Callie said in a whisper, leading them upstairs while Arizona chatted quietly with her protégé. “Bathroom’s the second door down there on the right,” she said as they reached the top of the stairs. “And this is our daughter’s room, so if you hear a baby crying, that’s just her.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Aaron said, nodding as he carried his sister into his brother’s old bedroom and put her in bed.

Callie was eyeing him as he exited the room, pulling the door closed behind him gently so he wouldn’t wake her. “Are you sure you’re Alex’s brother?” she asked curiously. “Because you’re very…” she searched for a word for a second, “polite…” she decided. “And Alex is… not that way.”

He just grinned and she saw the resemblance again. The Karev brothers were both handsome and charming, but Aaron appeared to have a self-deprecation instinct that his surgeon brother did not have. “We grew up different, that’s all. Alex had to look after us and it changed him.”

That was not something she’d known about Alex in spite of having lived with him for several years. Not only did he have younger siblings, but he’d been responsible for them. “Yeah? Let’s see if he can talk his way out of babysitting again!” she declared to lighten the mood, following him back downstairs to find Arizona in the process of making up a makeshift bed on the floor for their guest. Alex appeared to already be snoring on the couch.

Aaron insisted that he was fine for the night after they showed him where the kitchen was with instructions to help himself to anything and the two went back upstairs to their own bedroom. Arizona was quiet, though, thoughtful.

Callie didn’t question her about it until they had checked on Sofia and were sliding into their own bed. The blonde slipped into her familiar spot being the little spoon, breathing deeply when Callie nuzzled into her neck. “Did Alex tell you why his family’s here?”

“Not really,” Arizona whispered. “He seems sad about it, almost, though.”

“Well, he did go out and get drunk the same day they got here,” Callie reasoned. “Aaron said Karev looked after them growing up. Did you know that?”

Sighing, Arizona nestled deeper into the pillow, burrowing herself further into the protective frame of Callie’s arms and body. “He doesn’t talk about home much. He had a rough go of it as a kid.” She knew more than that, but it wasn’t her story to tell and Alex was a private person and wouldn’t appreciate her blabbing, even to Callie, so she kept her mouth shut.

The smell of breakfast was already in the air when they woke, Callie peeking curiously around the banister as she carried Sofia down the stairs. Alex was still sprawled on the couch and she’d peeked her head in on Amber, who was still sleeping. Aaron gave her a sheepish smile as they entered the kitchen, flipping an omelet on the stove.

“Good morning, ma’am,” he drawled. “I don’t know - but you said - sorry if I…”

“Aaron, it’s okay,” Callie said with a laugh, settling Sofia in her high chair. The younger Karev brother really was different than Alex. It was amazing. “We told you to make yourself at home. And that smells incredible, honestly.”

He grinned, winking. “Then it’s yours.” Callie started to protest but he just slid it onto a plate and handed it to her. “I know my brother and my sister pretty well, they won’t miss it.”

Finding a small plastic bowl in the cabinet, Callie put her plate down to make a bowl of cereal up for Sofia, the baby more than happy with dumping it out on her tray and chasing the Cheerios around with both hands to shove them in her mouth.

“She’s mighty cute,” Aaron observed. “How old is she?”

“Thank you. Almost a year,” answered Callie with a proud smile. Her baby was adorable. “Less playing, more eating, sweetie,” she coached Sofia, combing fingers through her little brown ringlets and sitting down beside her seat with the omelet. “Oh my God, this is fantastic, Aaron, thank you!” she said as she took her first bite.

He gave her another charming grin. “Happy to,” Aaron said. “Does your wife eat omelets? I can make something else.”

“She loves breakfast of any kind, but you don’t have to…”

“Does she have a favorite?” he interjected, cracking eggs into a bowl.

Arizona was happy to accept her omelet, pecking Sofia on the top of her head as the little girl chattered “Mama” at her. “Good morning, my angel,” the blonde said cheerfully. “Other angel,” she said to Callie, kissing her lightly on the lips. “Aaron,” she added, still chipper. “I hope you didn’t sleep too badly on the floor.”

“Oh, no, ma’am, it was great,” Aaron offered eagerly. “I normally sleep in my truck, so it was nice to be somewhere with a steady temperature.”

“You drive a truck?” asked Callie.

Aaron was regaling them with stories about driving his tractor trailer when Alex joined them, scratching his head and tousling Sofia’s hair when she shrieked, happy to see him. “Okay, kiddo, not so loud,” he requested gruffly. “Uncle Alex is hung over.”

“Unk!” Sofia chimed in, volume still loud.

Arizona called her name as a distraction and Alex shuffled to the coffeemaker, pouring himself a cup and burning his throat on the hot black coffee. “You slept here?” he asked his brother brusquely.

Nodding, Aaron handed him a plate loaded with an omelet and bacon. “Amber’s upstairs in your room.”

His sister’s name made Alex’s spine go stiff and he put his plate down on the table with a clatter. “You said she’s…” Aaron nodded and the older Karev sighed and sat down in his chair, glancing at Arizona, who was politely ignoring the family discussion. “Dr. Robbins…”

That got her eyes on him, not used to hearing her professional name in their house. “Dr. Karev?”

“Dr. Robbins, Aaron told me that our sister Amber might need surgery, but you know how much they don’t pay me, and Aaron takes care of our mom…”

“Alex, stop,” Arizona requested, smiling at him. “I make the budget for Peds, remember? We’ll take care of it.” Her expression sobered, blue eyes moving between the brothers. “But if she needs surgery, you should have said something last night. Should she be in the hospital?”

Aaron shook his head quickly. “Oh, no, it’s not urgent or anything,” he spoke up. “It’s just weird.”

“Weird in what way?” asked Arizona curiously, brows furrowing as she sipped her orange juice.

“It’s her, you know, her…” he gestured toward his own stomach, pulling his shirt up to reveal his bellybutton and pointing to it, “She used to be an innie but now she’s an outie. It’s all poked out and like a pool ball sticking out of her stomach.”

“It sounds like an abdominal hernia,” Alex said. “I didn’t look, she was sleeping when I met up with them last night, but she could go in to work with us, right? And you could…”

The blonde nodded, finishing her juice. “It’s fine, Alex,” she interjected lightly, wiggling her fingers at Sofia and prompting a round of happy giggles from her daughter. The baby really never stopped smiling or laughing. It was amazing. “We’ll take care of it.” She shot him a look. “Well, not you, you can’t help, obviously, but I’ll take care of her. You trust me, right?”

“Boss, sure I trust you!” he protested, gaping at her. “It’s just the money, and…”

“It’s not about the money, Alex,” Arizona cut him off again. “Don’t worry about the money. It’s called pro bono, remember? You lived in my house, we’ve been friends for a long time, Karev. And it’s your sister. So don’t talk about the money, okay?” She smirked, gently wiping slobbery cereal from Sofia’s face. “If you really think you have to make it up to me, you can babysit next week.”

Rolling his eyes, Alex sent a smirk toward Callie. “What, you got a date or something?”

“Not yet,” Arizona said cheerfully when Callie just shrugged at her protégé. “Because I haven’t asked. Calliope, would you go on a date with me? You’re off on Tuesday night, aren’t you? We could try that new sushi place Mark mentioned at lunch the other day.”

Glancing at Aaron and Alex, Callie smiled almost shyly. They were in their own home, in front of their friend who knew exactly how they were, but her wife asking her out, being charming and sweet and thoughtful and cute, it made her blush nonetheless.

“I’m not hearing an answer, boss,” Alex noted after a moment, smirking.

Arizona grinned playfully as well. “You’re right, Karev…”

“Arizona, I absolutely want to go on a date with you on Tuesday!” interjected Callie quickly, rolling her eyes at the pair of them. “I was just surprised. But of course I will go out with you. Moron,” she added, voice warm. Standing up slightly, she leaned forward across the table and took a quick kiss. “My turn in the shower. Are we riding in together?”

“Definitely,” Arizona hummed in agreement. “We’ll wait for you.”

Alex wiped his mouth but left his plate on the table. “I’ll head in now and start rounds, and Aaron and Amber can come in later?”

Smiling, Arizona picked up his plate as well as her own and Callie’s. “Calm down, Karev. It’s fine. Let her sleep in if she wants to. You know what we’ve got on the board for today.” She pinned him with a look as Aaron passed her to clean up his bed in the living room and Callie went upstairs to shower and get ready for work, leaving them alone in the kitchen. “Are you going to be able to work today?” she asked him seriously.

Alex sighed, arms crossing his chest. “You know I send money home and stuff, but I’m not - my family, we’re not… close. I haven’t even seen Amber since she was six, maybe. I’m not emotional.”

Studying him, Arizona took a slow, deep breath. “It’s not bad to be emotional, Alex,” she reminded him gently. “No surgery today,” his mouth fell open to protest and she continued, “Seriously. Consult, do charts, hang out in the cafeteria with your brother, but don’t even think about doing any procedures or going near an OR. Am I clear?” He glared at her but nodded. “Good, thank you.”

“Who are you going to use?”

Arizona cocked an eyebrow at him. “Who do you want me to use? I don’t think I’ll need an assist on an abdominal hernia, but you pick a resident for your sister’s case and I’ll get them,” she promised.

“Little Grey,” Alex decided after a few moments of consideration. She was a year behind his class of residents but she was meticulous and careful, a good surgeon.

Arizona nodded calmly, able to see how much he really was affected on his face. They had known each other for a long time, after all. “Consider it done,” she promised, patting his arm as she moved around him to release a chattering Sofia from her high chair.

She was in the doorway when he spoke again from behind her, “Thank you, boss.”

Alex’s affectedness was more obvious when he was pacing around the double doors of the OR hall where Callie caught him, smirking sideways at him as she checked her own entry on the board. “You ever seen a rod put into a femur?” she asked him conversationally, tempted to needle him about his obvious anxiety but having mercy.

It took him a second to shake his head, distracted. “No, I don’t think so. Is that what you did with Tim?”

“Nothing so extensive.” She pinched the sleeve of his scrubs and dragged him through the doors. “Come on, you’re going to observe.”

“Robbins told me to stay away from the OR.”

Callie just smirked at him over her shoulder. “That’s why you’re standing around just outside of the OR?” she noted sarcastically. “Come on. It’s not like you’re operating, you’re just going to be observing. She won’t get mad.”

“And if she does, she can get mad at you,” countered Alex as she continued dragging him along.

Scoffing, Callie smacked the chart to his chest. “Like that’s going to happen.”

She was almost done with her surgery when she heard his sigh of relief beside her and she glanced up into the gallery to find Arizona watching. The blonde triggered the intercom and Alex couldn’t help jumping when her voice came from on high, “Karev, I thought I was pretty clear this morning when I said no surgery.” She didn’t sound upset, merely amused.

“Torres dragged me in here,” he answered her defensively. “Be pissed at her!”

“I’m not pissed at anyone,” Arizona promised, her words backed up by Sofia laughing in the background where she was crawling around the gallery. “I was just going to tell you that Amber’s procedure went perfectly and she’s in recovery. Do you want me to tell Aaron, or can Dr. Torres spare you?” She looked down when little hands tugged on her loose scrub pants, Sofia endeavoring to pull herself up onto her feet.

“Mama!”

A few of the interns watching and studying in the gallery looked at the little girl with varying looks of amusements and annoyance. Arizona obligingly picked her up, huffing in exaggeration at the weight of her. “You’re getting to be such a big girl, my baby,” she cooed, pointing her toward the large window. “Look down there. Who’s that, Sofia?”

Spotting the dark red pattern of her mother’s cap, Sofia gave an eager, excited wriggle, her face breaking out in a wide smile. “Mami! Mami!”

Callie leaned her head back, smile hidden by her mask. “Hey, beautiful,” she called up without removing her hands from the leg she had just finished rebuilding. “I’m almost done, but Alex, you go give your brother the good news, alright?” He was already moving toward the sliding door. “I can take her after this if you’ve got a few minutes to wait on me to close.”

“I’ve got time for lunch too,” Arizona assured her, smiling. “Take your time.”

Eating in the cafeteria with Sofia was always a fun experience, the little girl soaking up the attention she got from her parents’ friends and coworkers. And Arizona smiled and laughed at their daughter’s antics when it was appropriate, but Callie could see that something was diminishing her mood. Of course, she’d just performed surgery on one of her best friend’s sister. That was bound to be nerve-wracking.

That didn’t stop her from nudging her knee against her wife’s, Sofia sitting on her other leg and grinning at anyone who looked her way. She was going to be quite the charmer when she was just a little older and could use those dimples knowingly. “Hey, you okay?” Callie whispered, rubbing her hand down the top of her partner’s thigh and squeezing her knee lightly. “I know it had to be rough, operating on Alex’s sister, but I know you did awesome,” it got a genuine smile from the blonde, “but you still kind of seem… down or something. Is everything alright?”

Arizona sighed and the sound was heavy. “I just - I feel bad for Amber. And for Aaron. They don’t have easy lives. From what she said, they all bounced around in foster care and now Aaron’s her guardian and he drives the truck, so she’s pretty much on her own most nights taking care of their mom.”

Frowning, Callie rubbed her leg again. “That’s terrible.” Sofia laughed happily when she saw Bailey across the room. “Well, Amber will be here for a few days in recovery, right? You can keep an eye on them.” Aaron didn’t seem like the type to leave his kid sister sitting around the hospital by herself. Arizona made a noise of agreement, her eyes focused on the top of Sofia’s head as she bounced her knee. “What are you worried about, sweetheart?”

“I don’t know, exactly,” confessed Arizona with another sigh. “It’s just - I know they’re doing what they have to do, and Alex helps as much as he can, but it still feels wrong to just…”

Callie’s hand slipped up to her wife’s hair, using blonde locks to guide her head down for a kiss. “You’re a mother, Arizona. That’s what this is. And how Alex and his brother and sister grew up, it was tough. You and I, we can’t imagine it,” she followed Arizona’s gaze to their daughter, “And Sofia never will either. We’re here for her. And, God forbid, but if something happened and we weren’t, you know Tim and Teddy would take care of her, or your parents. Our family would never let her go away, you know that. She would be taken care of, Arizona,” she promised, taking a guess at what parallels her partner might be drawing.

Nodding, Arizona leaned forward and kissed the top of her baby’s head, hand that wasn’t on her tummy stroking soft brown curls back. “I know that,” she whispered. “Mama loves you, Sofia.”

Hearing her name, the baby looked around. “Mama!” Giggling, she fell back against the blonde’s abdomen and kicked her legs. “Luvoo,” she cooed, one of the newest additions to her growing repertoire of words, shrieking when Arizona leaned over to fake gnawing at her stomach. “Mama!”

The Peds surgeon was laughing as she sat back up, her expression relaxed and happy. “Our baby is the best,” she declared, not for the first time.

“Yeah, she is,” agreed Callie, voice hoarse with feeling. And she was the magic cure for whatever upset either of her mothers. “And it sucks for those Karev kids, it really does, but do you think Alex would do anything but stop speaking to us if we offered to help?” Arizona’s mouth turned down at the corners. Even on his best days Alex was sensitive about seeming to owe anyone anything. And if they suggested his brother and sister might need help, he might not speak to them for a month.

“All we can do is keep an eye on them?” Arizona checked, sighing. Callie just arched an eyebrow at her. “Fine. Can we at least make sure we have Aaron’s number before they leave? I want to check on them once they’re gone.”

Nodding reassuringly, Callie rubbed her shoulders gently. “Of course.” She kissed the side of her wife’s head, Sofia still laughing and squirming on Arizona’s lap. “You know, I know you hate when I say this, but the way you and Alex-”

Arizona groaned to cut her off, shooting a narrow blue glare at her. “Don’t say it, Calliope,” she started warningly.

Laughing, Callie stole a kiss to her cheek. “It’s sweet, that’s all. It’s not a bad thing, baby.” Her fingers played in the loose blonde hair falling over her partner’s shoulders. “You take such good care of me and Sof. It’s just sweet…”

Arizona gave her a smile. “What? You think I’m not sweet to anyone but you and Sofia?” she asked teasingly. “I’ll have you know that I’m sweet to fully… half a dozen people who aren’t my wife and daughter.”

Bumping her with an elbow, Callie chuckled and returned to her lunch, offering a soft baby cracker from Sofia’s lunch for the little girl to gnaw on with her one and only tooth. “Aren’t we lucky to be chosen, Sofia? We’re happy Mama’s sweet to us, aren’t we, baby girl?” A gleeful giggle was her answer. “Just like she’s sweet to Uncle Alex,” Callie smugly added before the blonde could protest.


	12. Chapter 12

Alex didn’t look up from their patient in the NICU as Arizona entered in her own pink gown. “How’s she doing?” They were caring for a micro-preemie born at twenty-four weeks after her mother had gone through the windshield of a car during an accident.

“Her weight is up, but she’s still not breathing as well as I’d like,” he said, listening to the tiny baby’s chest through his stethoscope.

Sighing, Arizona nodded, taking the chart off the top of the protective plastic enclosure and checking his notes. “Are we worried about the lung collapsing?”

“At this point, aren’t we worried about everything?” Alex countered, his voice heavy.

Arizona met his eyes, holding back another sigh. He was right. There were too many things they had to worry about right now. And he had worries of his own back in Iowa now that his brother and sister had gone home, but he was a good doctor. A great doctor, even. She liked to think she had a little something to do with that. “Alright, then what are our options, Dr. Karev?”

He took a moment to consider and listed the most likely solutions they had at this stage. “But I guess we should talk to the parents before we do anything…” She fell into step beside him as he left the NICU and handed the chart back to him, smiling when he sent her a surprised look.

“She’s your patient, Alex. I’m here if you need me, but you’re the one who’s been talking to the family,” Arizona reminded him. And he was an awesome surgeon, good hands and quick thinking, but talking to the parents still made him freeze up or say stupid things sometimes.

“Okay,” he said, nerves restrained in his voice.

Arizona bumped him with an elbow lightly, breaking the tension. “Hey, so you’re still good to keep Sofia for us tonight, right?”

He sent her a surprised look. “You didn’t hear?”

“Hear what?” Arizona reached forward to push the button to open the powered sliding doors and let them out of the NICU, following him out. She was never up on the hospital gossip. Without Alex, Teddy, and Callie, she’d be completely out of the loop.

Karev sent her a sideways smirk. “The Chief’s niece missed her prom last night and he’s punishing some crazy cabal of interns by making them recreate it in the lobby.” His boss just looked confused, eyebrows rising in question. “Attendance is mandatory,” he added with a shrug. “But, I mean, he knows you’ve got a kid at home, I’m sure he’d let you out of it.”

He sounded almost envious and Arizona frowned thoughtfully. “Have you got a date?”

“Are you kidding me?” he scoffed. “The whole thing is lame. I wouldn’t waste a decent chick on it.”

“So you use Sofia to get out of it and I’ll ask Callie to the prom,” suggested Arizona with a sudden dimpled smile. Alex looked incredulously at her and she laughed. “What?”

“You’re going to ask your wife to go to the cheesy hospital prom?” he asked in disbelief. “You do remember how hot Callie is, right?”

Arizona slugged his shoulder swiftly. “Hey! I know exactly how gorgeous my wife is, Karev. We all know I’ll have the hottest date there, of course. It goes without saying. And we were going out anyway, but you don’t want to go to the prom thing and I think it could be kind of fun.”

“But is Torres going to think it’ll be fun?” asked Alex, shooting her a look as they turned the corner to where their patient’s parents were waiting in their exam room.

She didn’t have a chance to ponder that until later in the day, finding Callie completely coincidentally in the hallway. The Ortho surgeon was distracted, but still caught her arm. “Dr. Robbins, hey.” She was being trailed by a few interns and she quickly shooed them away with instructions to collect test results for her.

“Dr. Torres,” Arizona answered her greeting and gave her a cheerful grin. She spared a glance over her shoulder for the retreating interns before gripping the sides of her wife’s lab coat and pulled her closer gently. “I’ve been looking for you. I need to ask you something…”

Callie’s expression fell abruptly. “Oh, please don’t say we’re not going out tonight, because today has totally sucked, and I’ve been looking forward to-”

Arizona laughed and Callie groaned. “No, no, baby. Calliope, no!” She tried a hopeful grin. “I wanted to ask you - would you go to the prom with me?”

Brown eyes blinked in clear surprise, a smile growing on full lips. “The Chief’s thing tonight? You want to go?”

“I do if you do,” Arizona answered her with a shrug, bobbing her eyebrows. “Alex is looking for a way out of going, so he’ll keep Sofia like we planned, and we can get dinner and dress up and if you hate this idea, I swear, we will give the Chief some line and Alex can keep Sofia and I still have reservations at that French place you wanted to try.” Callie groaned again and Arizona winced, anticipating a bad reaction. “What? Calliope, we will do anything you want!”

“I want fancy French food, but I so want to see you in a dress at the cheesy as hell prom, too!” Callie declared, grumbling. Arizona’s grin was completely charming, blue eyes melting her. She would do anything with this woman. And unprofessional or not, she couldn’t help kissing her swiftly, retreating before anyone could spot their doctors kissing.

Arizona laughed, licking her lips. “How about I call and change our reservation? Maybe I can get Tim and Teddy to keep Sofia some night next week and we could go for the French food then?” she offered sweetly, twisting Callie gently from side to side by her coat. White teeth gnawed on her bottom lip teasingly. “Calliope Torres, would you please do me the honor of letting me escort you to the prom tonight?” Arizona asked, not faking the note of hope in her voice. They were married, happily, and mothers to a one year old, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t romance her wife.

Callie’s smile told her she’d done well. “Arizona, of course.” It was her turn for a smirk. “Unless you think Meredith would let me have Derek for the night. You know, put that hair on top of a tux…”

Arizona’s blue eyes narrowed and she promptly jerked her wife into her arms for a firm, less professional kiss. “Derek Shepherd might have the hair, Calliope,” she whispered into the minute gap between their lips. She could acknowledge the impressiveness of his hair. She had eyes. “But ask yourself this… Does his ass do anything for you?”

“Um…” The short answer to that was hell no.

Leaving her to ponder that, Arizona released her coat and took a long step back, regaining their professional distance. “Dr. Torres,” she said cheerfully, turning quickly on her heel and walking away.

And Callie could only cock her head and watch. Arizona won that round handily. Nothing could compete with her wife’s ass. Or legs, or breasts, or eyes, or hell, she’d even give Arizona ‘Best Hair’ if it came down to it. And it would be inappropriate to wolf whistle at a doctor in the hospital, wouldn’t it? They were professionals and catcalling down the hall after her wife was not professional behavior. She’d just stare like an idiot and try not to drool. It was less obvious than whistling, at least.

She didn’t resist that impulse when they were at home, entering their bedroom to see Arizona attempting to zip a wine red floor length dress behind herself. The blonde jumped when she heard the noise of appreciation from the far side of the room. “I’ve never seen this dress before,” Callie commented, crossing her arms as she considered her beautiful wife. “Did you get a new dress for the prom?”

Laughing, Arizona shook her head and gathered her hair with both hands. “No, it’s an old bridesmaid dress. A friend from college got married our senior year. Will you zip me?”

Callie obliged, drawing the zipper up. She would definitely appreciate unzipping it later. “How did you get so lucky to have not terrible bridesmaid dresses?” She kissed the side of her neck as she finished, sliding both hands down her partner’s sides. “And I kind of hate you for still fitting into your dress after years and years,” she teased, chuckling.

The blonde swatted the hand at her hip sharply, rolling her eyes. “Oh shut up. You are more gorgeous every single day, Calliope Torres!” She leaned her head back and kissed under her jaw. “You are beautiful.” 

“So are you,” Callie replied promptly.

“Thank you,” murmured the blonde, corners of her mouth curling. Turning under her wife’s hands, Arizona smiled when the grip on her hips slid around to her butt. Subtle, Callie, really subtle. “And I cannot wait to see what you’re going to wear to the prom. Are there any old prom dresses hiding in the closet?”

The laugh she got was an answer in itself. “Um, no. Those all got left in Miami and hopefully got thrown out after I got cut off,” declared Callie.

“But your parents might have pictures, right?” Arizona asked curiously.

“Oh my God,” Callie swatted her ass and let her go, “There’s something wrong with you. Prom dresses are historically terrible when you look back at them. And trust me, my hair was awful back then. I don’t want you to be able to picture me like that,” she started searching their closet for her own dress for the prom, “It’s bad enough you’ve got me doing this at all,” she teased, leaning around the closet door to shoot a smirk at Arizona.

The blonde scoffed. “Hey, I offered you four-star French food. You picked the mandatory hospital prom, babe. No complaining.” She experimented with hairstyles in front of the mirror, silently wondering why she was bothering about her hair for a work event. Then Callie crossed the room in her underwear and she remembered suddenly. It was because that beautiful woman was her wife, was going to be on her arm.

Not having any old bridesmaid dresses to call on for an outfit for the prom, Callie ended up wearing a dark blue dress that she knew Arizona appreciated. She seemed to like the slit that peaked just above her knee anyway. And it was the only option she had on such short notice. 

It was a mystery how the blonde had managed to get her a flower in the same time span, though. But when she turned the corner at the base of the stairs to see how Alex was doing with Sofia’s dinner in the kitchen, she was greeted with a white rose and a cheeky grin from her wife.

Alex just faked gagging from the table where he was endeavoring to get Sofia to eat. “How do you guys do this? Sof, don’t you want to eat for Uncle Alex?”

“Unk!” the little girl agreed loudly, making him wince and jerk his head back. She just giggled at his reaction to her volume.

“She does alright now if you just let her chase it around her tray,” Arizona told him, amused. He promptly upended her little plate on the tray of her highchair and gave her the small plastic fork. Sofia’s first move was to scoop up a noodle from her macaroni. It didn’t make it to her mouth, just rolled down her bib where she fumbled and found it with her other hand and stuffed it into her mouth, grinning proudly at Alex at her success.

“But she’s not going to be happy when we leave,” warned Callie, tousling her baby’s hair lovingly as she sniffed lightly at her rose. Arizona Robbins was an amazing woman.

Alex groaned, which just made Sofia laugh harder. “You got any advice so maybe she doesn’t scream her head off all night? How long are you guys going to stay at the hospital prom anyway?” He was clearly hoping that they would call it an early night at such a lame work event.

“It’s a night out, Karev, and we’re adults with a baby,” Arizona reminded him. “We’re staying out as late as we want.”

Callie rolled her eyes, winking at the younger man. “Don’t listen to her. She can’t stand to miss Sofia’s bedtime. We’ll be home by ten at the latest,” she laughingly promised, kissing Arizona’s pouty lips. “Don’t worry, I think it’s adorable that you’re such a dorky mom.”

Scoffing, Arizona mirrored her wife’s eye roll. “Yeah, because that’s sexy…” Arching an eyebrow at her, Callie just looked curious. “It’s prom night, Calliope,” the blonde said as though it should be obvious. Callie’s smile was promising and she couldn’t hold back her own smirk. “And Sof sleeps through the night now…”

There was a disturbance at the table as Alex cleared his throat loudly, blinking when one of Sofia’s noodles hit his forehead and stuck. Neither of the women could stop themselves from laughing when he turned to look at them. “Yeah, I’ll be going to Joe’s after you get home,” he declared, sighing heavily when the macaroni dropped onto his shirt.

Still laughing helplessly, Arizona leaned over to kiss Sofia’s cheek and unintentionally gave Alex a perfect eye line at the generous cleavage presented by her dress. “Good night, sweetheart,” the blonde cooed. “Your mommies love you. Behave for Uncle Alex.”

“Not too much though, baby girl,” Callie countered coolly, swatting her wife’s protégé sharply on the back of the head. “Stop looking… now,” she ordered, voice firm and not to be disobeyed.

Karev jumped, guilty. “Sorry! I can’t help it! They’re good boobs!”

Realizing what had just happened, Arizona leaned back up, one hand holding the top of her dress to her chest. “Nice, Alex!” she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“I’m sorry!” he yelped again, protectively covering his head when Callie moved around him. His efforts to avoid even glancing in the direction of Callie’s breasts unintentionally landed his gaze on her ass. 

Arizona crossed her arms pointedly and just stared, expression stern. “Stop looking… now,” ordered the blonde after a moment, smirking only after her protégé slapped both hands over his eyes for good measure.

“Sorry! It’s a nice-”

“Hey!” Callie cut in loudly before he said any words Sofia shouldn’t know. For emphasis, she gave him another swat to the head. “We’re going now,” she declared sternly. “Sofia, you do anything you want to, my angel!”

Arizona just laughed as the Latina pulled her out of the kitchen by the arm, Sofia distracted from her parents’ departure by what she thought was her uncle playing a game with her.

The prom was in full swing when they arrived, the lobby looking completely different with dim lighting and black and silver balloons all over. “Oh, we’re going to need drinks,” Callie muttered as they entered, one hand on Arizona’s back to escort her in. For a bridesmaid’s dress, it has a startlingly low back to be considered wedding appropriate. She appreciated the opportunity to stroke fingertips lightly across smooth skin, though.

“Do you think the hospital prom is going to have spiked punch?” asked Arizona with a laugh, biting her lip at the seemingly unconscious contact up and down her spine.

“If it doesn’t yet, it will,” Callie said with a laugh, smirking when Arizona sent her a look over her shoulder. “What?”

The blonde rolled her eyes. “Isn’t this technically a prom for children, Calliope? What would you do if someone spiked the drinks at our daughter’s prom?” Callie immediately scowled at the thought of someone getting their little girl drunk. “Exactly,” Arizona declared knowingly, kissing her softly on the cheek. It was almost unbelievable how much she adored Callie’s ‘Mama Bear’ persona.

“Can we be the lame parents who chaperone the prom and keep drunk assholes away from our baby?” requested Callie, almost pouting. She prided herself on being a badass, but her reputation was nothing compared to her daughter’s virtue.

Arizona smiled, trying not to laugh, and patted her gently on the top of the chest. “We’ve got seventeen years before Sofia’s going to prom, babe. And she’s going to be on her best behavior, I’m sure.”

Callie sent her an incredulous look. “You’re serious?” she asked after a few seconds, the two of them moving easily through the crowd of their coworkers. Was there seriously nothing to eat but finger sandwiches? These interns sucked at party planning. They were going to have to get some food on the way home, there hadn’t been time earlier. “You’re telling me that you didn’t hook up with someone after prom? A little hottie like you?” She knew her wife better than that, even if Arizona would have been under the Colonel’s roof at the time.

The blonde didn’t respond immediately, just scooped up two plastic cups of punch and drank hers down swiftly. “It’s not spiked. Is that good news or bad news?” She hadn’t gone to her own prom, told herself she didn’t want to. Tim had snuck her off base with him and they’d indulged in a bit of teenage rebellion in the form of joyriding and her first introduction to cigarettes.

Understanding, Callie slid both arms around her waist, leaning in to kiss her neck. “Baby, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m happy you were behaving yourself. It makes me hope that Sofia takes after her Mama.” She nuzzled into her jaw, careful not to jostle her drink and spill punch on Arizona’s dress. “You know that I would love nothing more than for her to turn out just like you. And we have seventeen years to raise Sofia to be mature and responsible and honest and all of those thousand reasons that I’m in love with you.”

Arizona surprised her by laughing. “You love me because I’m mature and responsible? Yeah, that’s so hot. We are at the prom and you’re giving me mature and responsible? It’s possible you’re forgetting how we met, lover. And for the record, the night of my prom Tim and I snuck off the base in our mother’s stolen car and he taught me how to smoke a cigarette and not look like an idiot,” Callie’s eyes narrowed as she was speaking and Arizona grinned cheekily, “That’s what I thought. Still want Sofia to take after me?”

“Absolutely yes,” answered the brunette without the slightest hint of hesitation. She stole a soft kiss. “Maybe we’ll just make sure Tim’s elsewhere the night of her prom.” Arizona laughed happily. “I bet he’d be a pretty intimidating chaperone himself, though.”

Blonde eyebrows rose, Arizona still chuckling. “I think you’re underestimating your own intimidation potential, Calliope.”

Callie looked pleased by that declaration. “Really? Awesome.”

Arizona’s laughter rose in volume again. “Now, I love our baby girl, but we’re having a grownup night out and I happen to think that you’re coasting, counting on the prom to get you sex. I’ll have you know I am not that kind of girl, Calliope Torres.”

“In spite of how we met?” Callie teased. One hand slid to her hip and squeezed, making her jump. “You want me to bring it? I’ll bring it, Arizona,” she promised, growling the words breathily against her skin and sending a rush of sensation down her spine. “You are the hottest woman in this hospital. And I’m not just talking about tonight when everyone’s dressed up. I’m talking about every single day when we’re running around in scrubs and don’t have time to brush our hair.” The Latina shimmied her body against her wife’s back, draining her punch so she could slide both hands across Arizona’s hips. “Can I have a dance with the most beautiful girl at the prom?”

The blonde smiled and turned to face her, looping both arms over her shoulders. “I would love that,” she agreed fondly, thankful that her heels put her at the perfect height to lean in and kiss full lips softly. “Thank you for coming to this tonight when the alternative was fancy French food.”

Callie just smiled as they swayed to the soft music. “Fancy French food isn’t going anywhere. And who wouldn’t want to go to their work’s prom with their fantastically gorgeous wife?”

Blue eyes rolled, lips quirking in a smirk. “Thank you, suck up…”

“Someone accused me of coasting,” Callie countered, smirking back at her. Both arms pulled Arizona against her, no space between them. “I’ve got to step it up if I want to be the person getting you out of this dress after prom, right?”

Laughing, Arizona threw her head back. There was nothing wrong with that argument. And they both knew that no one else stood a chance of getting her out of this dress, but it was still fun to flirt. “Who said it wouldn’t be until after the prom?” questioned the blonde teasingly. There was no rule against drastically upping the flirting either. They were happily married with a child but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be entirely hot for each other too.

And they were.

“Oh fuck…” Callie’s head dropped into Arizona’s neck, her breathing noticeably heavy.

Lacing her fingers through dark waves, Arizona enjoyed the side to side shimmy of their close pressed bodies. “That’s the idea…” Callie moaned against her neck, fingers tightening on the dress at Arizona’s hips. This woman was unbelievable. Arizona turned her face into her partner’s ear, dragging her lips against the soft lobe of her ear. “There’re some exam rooms right down the hall…” she whispered promisingly. They were moms, hot moms, and their baby was at home. Except for the complete lack of professionalism, there was nothing wrong with hooking up in the hospital where they worked, was there?

“You’re not serious?” Callie immediately questioned, dragging herself away from the tempting lips on her skin that would only lead to them getting caught. “Arizona, we’re at work!” Even as it came out of her mouth, she hated herself for having to say it. But she really liked them both having jobs, to say nothing of having jobs at the same hospital, and she liked their house and wanted to be able to send Sofia to any college she wanted.

“We’re at the work prom! That is not the same thing!” protested the blonde, though she let Callie spin her, giving them both a break from all the full-body contact.

Callie shook her head, catching Arizona front to back and wrapping both arms around her. “Let’s just dance,” she coaxed, kissing swiftly behind her wife’s ear.

Pressing her ass backwards into Callie’s front, Arizona smirked as the grip on her hips suddenly tightened. “Because that’s supposed to help, Calliope?” she asked, teasing now. Turning the tables on her infinitely enticing partner was always fun.

“We’re not going to any after party at Joe’s,” Callie promised, her voice low and growling against pale skin. “And there’s no chance we won’t make it home for Sofia’s bedtime but not because you need to see her fall asleep.”

“That’s all I ask,” said Arizona smugly, not stopping her teasing grinding until Callie was forced to spin her around to keep her sanity and self control. “But you have to admit that Sof is super cute when she’s all sleepy and yawning.”

Well, that was undeniably true but that wasn’t the most pressing reason Callie was already eager to get home. The most pressing reason she wanted to get home was the thin strip of fabric she could feel under Arizona’s garnet dress. There was underwear there, but she knew without seeing that there wasn’t much.

Building anticipation was fun too though. And they both enjoyed that fun, dancing close, laughing and innocently teasing each other (mostly innocent, at least) the whole night, even as they crossed the parking lot to their car.

It was decidedly less innocent when Callie reached deliberately across the car and triggered the seat control between Arizona’s legs, the motor buzzing as the seat backed away from the steering wheel. “What are you doing?” the blonde asked, glancing down at the arm disappearing beneath her skirt.

“Well, I wanted to kiss my wife, but she’s a control freak and has to drive all the time, so I have to move her seat back,” explained Callie as though it should be obvious. “Otherwise my ass will honk the horn and we’ll get busted.” She smirked as she flipped a leg across and settled herself on Arizona’s lap. And the slit in her dress had never been more appreciated. Ever.

Arizona swallowed hard, wondering why she’d drank all that punch if her throat could still go dry so quickly. “Yeah, um, that would be bad,” she agreed hoarsely. “That would be really bad.” Callie just nodded, sliding both hands over the tops of the blonde’s shoulders and leaning in. “Really, really bad,” whispered Arizona, meeting her lips slowly.

The kiss stayed slow for only a few seconds, Callie sucking on a full lower lip and moaning, both hands sliding across Arizona’s jaw and into her hair. Her wife’s blonde locks were soft and smooth. And offered really good control over angles of the kiss.

Unfortunately, even without accidentally honking the horn, they were still discovered and interrupted, Miranda Bailey knocking sharply on the driver’s side window. Both gasping as the kiss broke, Arizona leaned back to be able to see, flushed with embarrassment and arousal. A fumbling finger found the window control and it slid down smoothly. “Good evening, Miranda,” Callie greeted her, sounding a bit embarrassed herself. Though not nearly as much as she should if anyone had asked Arizona.

The short surgeon just sniffed but there was a hint of a smile teasing her lips. “How about we move this tail wagging on home?” she suggested. “One of these fine, upstanding young people doesn’t know how to park and I’m blocked in.”

Turning her head, Callie could see it was true, Bailey’s sedan blocked on one side by a incorrectly parked SUV and on the other side by their car in its space. “Oh, right, sure, Bailey,” she agreed, awkwardly scrambling back into her own seat and chewing on her lip as they all waited impatiently for Arizona’s seat to move back into its usual position. It was only a few seconds really, but it felt like a small eternity.

Bailey walked away in a click of heels as Arizona started their car, both of them flushed and ducked into their seats. Neither made a sound until Callie laughed unexpectedly, shrugging when Arizona shot her a look across the car. “I’m glad you find this funny,” the blonde said, rolling her eyes. “Because Miranda Bailey just caught us making out in our car like…”

“Teenagers at a prom?” Callie suggested, reaching one hand across the car to stroke through long blonde hair. “I can’t help it my date was the most beautiful woman there. And we’re spending the night together.”

“Because we’re married,” Arizona reminded her, though she was smiling. And they had a child, and a house, and they were mature, professional surgeons. But Calliope Torres was still the woman she’d met in that bar years ago too - funny and smart and charming, confident, positively the most gorgeous woman she’d ever seen. And getting to know her past that first night together was the best choice she’d ever made in her life. Because everything she’d learned about her had only made her love her more. And every day with Callie made her sure that everything they’d been through and everything else they’d go through in the future was already worth it.

“You know,” said Arizona slowly, breaking the momentary quiet. “Maybe we should stop at Joe’s, get a drink,” she suggested.

Callie’s eyebrow rose, a smirk on the corner of her mouth. “What about Sofia’s bedtime?” she teased lightly.

Arizona leaned over swiftly and kissed her, leaving no doubts about her intentions. “Just a quick drink,” she emphasized and her grin was dimpled. “I don’t think I’ll need so much tequila this time to get you to go home with me.”


	13. Epilogue - I Can be Your Hero, Baby

A flash of red was all Arizona Robbins saw as her three year old daughter charged through the front door and straight past her. “Hey, no running in the house!” she called after the little girl. “What’s got ants in her pants?” she asked Callie as her wife joined her.

Callie took a quick kiss in greeting, shrugging her shoulders. “She won’t say anything but that she needs to see Tim. I guess she made him something at preschool.”

“Mami! Yo neccicito use the phone!” Sofia called loudly from the kitchen in her adorably mixed Spanish and English.

“That’s not how we ask for things, Sofia Michelle,” Callie reminded her.

“Por favor!” Sofia added quickly, rushing back with Arizona’s cell phone in her hand and her red bundle still wadded under her arm. “Mama, please! Uncle Tim!”

Obliging her with a smile, the blonde unlocked the phone and dialed her brother. “Hello?” Tim’s greeting was almost drowned out by crying babies in the background, Tim’s twin sons apparently both awake.

“Sorry, brother. Did I wake them up?”

“Nah, they just do not want to go down for naps today. What’s up?”

“Sof wants to talk to you,” Arizona told him, holding up one finger when her daughter gestured impatiently for the phone. “And your cousins are sleepy, so don’t keep Uncle T on the phone too long, okay, sweetheart?”

Sofia nodded obediently and took the phone, dashing away with it cradled to her ear, and already chattering eagerly. Her parents watched her go with an exchanged glance and Callie smirked. “She’s like you were at that age. It’s awesome,” she declared with a happy sigh, jumping when Arizona pinched her butt.

“Shut up. You don’t know that!”

“I do know that,” Callie said confidently. Her proud, happy grin was infectious. “You know it too.” She slung an arm around her wife’s shoulders and they watched their little girl pace back and forth with the phone in the hall. She spun on her heel for the next turn and Callie pointed gleefully. “You do that now!” she said triumphantly.

Sofia ran back with the phone, shoving it into Arizona’s hand and dashing away again. “Unk T and Aunt T are coming over for supper!” she called over her shoulder. “I gotta go get ready!”

Exchanging looks with Callie, Arizona lifted the phone to her ear quickly. “Hey, Tim, you still there?” No answer. “I guess they’re coming over tonight,” she informed Callie with a shrug. “Do we have food?”

Callie laughed, hearing loud, three-year-old footsteps on the floor above them. “Did you go to the store?”

Arizona sighed, thumb swiping the screen of her phone. “I’ll call for pizza. I mean, we have enough for us, but I wasn’t expecting company…”

“Baby, it’s okay. I wasn’t accusing you of stranding us with no groceries,” Callie assured her with another laugh, catching the phone before it could reach the blonde’s ear. “You haven’t had a day off in weeks,” she rubbed her wife’s back, touch sliding down to pat her butt affectionately, “and I wouldn’t care if you’d spent the day on the couch watching bad TV.” It was obvious from the state of their living room, neat and clean and orderly in a way that it rarely was anymore, that that wasn’t what Arizona had done with her day off. The scent of cleaner was still wafting down the hall from the kitchen. “Just please tell me you used a mop in the kitchen and didn’t do crazy Marine cleaning in there on your hands and knees,” Callie requested. Arizona chewed on her lip and didn’t say anything. “Honey…”

“It works better than the mop!” Arizona protest sheepishly.

Callie kissed the side of her face, squeezing her ass again. “But I think the only thing you should be on your knees for is me,” she teased, arching an eyebrow that made Arizona bite her lip for an entirely different reason. “And I got us a really good mop. Remember? You gave me a hard time about it being a sexist present, even if we’re both women…”

Giggling, Arizona wrinkled her nose. “I don’t remember that, Calliope,” she played. “I’m sure you heard wrong. If I was calling you anything, it was sexy, not sexist…”

“Mmhmm,” Callie hummed, narrowing her eyes and patting her hip again. “Don’t worry about dinner, okay? I’ll go pick up some Italian. Teddy likes the place we normally get, doesn’t she?” Arizona nodded. “Great. Then I will be back soon. You and Sof try not to kill each other, okay?” she teased. Their daughter was really her mother’s daughter, in every way, and Callie couldn’t adore it more. But the pair could (had in the past and definitely would again in the future) get into some pretty creative trouble when they were left to their own devices. “And no Heelies…”

“In the house, I know,” Arizona finished with a pair of rolling eyes, pouting for good measure. Callie kissed her protruding lower lip quickly to soften the reminder. “But, Calliope, you just got home…”

“And you spent your day off cleaning,” Callie countered. “So I at least owe you some errands, probably some sex, because you know how much I hate folding the laundry.” Arizona blinked, smile growing swiftly. “That’s what I thought,” Callie declared, kissing her one more time, just because she could. “Will you call in the order so it’ll be ready when I get there?” Arizona nodded, already searching her contact list.

Tim and Teddy were gracious about coming over to takeout, the twins only starting to wake up from their naps when they arrived. Even sleepy though, they were glad to see their aunts, Callie and Arizona each taking one while Sofia finished whatever preparations she’d been making in her room.

When she clattered down the stairs, she blew past her parents with her cousins, flying straight to her uncle. He swooped her up and flew her through the air, the little girl over his shoulder. “You came!”

“I told you I would,” he answered her with a laugh, putting her down.

“I made you something!”

“That’s what I heard,” Tim said as he tousled her hair. “Let’s eat first and then you can show me what it is, alright?”

Teddy pretended to pout as Sofia bolted to the kitchen, dragging Tim along by the hand. “How come Uncle T’s the only one to get a present anyway?”

Sofia shot her a look over her shoulder that was Arizona to perfection. “You know I love you, Aunt Teddy!”

“But you didn’t make me anything at school,” the heart surgeon argued lightly. “And I didn’t even get a hug.” Abandoning Tim in the doorway, Sofia dashed back to throw both arms around Teddy’s waist and squeeze her tightly. “Mmh, that’s a good hug,” Teddy said, sending her husband a superior look. “Now no matter what you got, I got the best hug.”

“Aunt T, don’t fight,” Sofia requested with a long-suffering sigh that made Callie grin and send a superior look at her own spouse, Arizona’s cheeks flushing even as she pointedly avoided looking at Callie. “Sit next to me,” she practically ordered, Callie barely restraining her laughter while Arizona’s cheeks burned behind her.

“Your aunt needs to sit next to the high chairs, remember?” Arizona noted, cradling her squirmy nephew in one arm and patting her passing daughter’s head with the free hand. “And Teddy, I can feed this little guy if you want to get the food while it’s still hot.”

Her friend didn’t even argue, finding a pair of baby food jars in the diaper bag still over her shoulder and shoving them into Arizona’s grip. “Have fun.”

They actually got the twins fed and settled before Sofia couldn’t contain her bouncy energy any longer and, having already devoured her own meal, ran from the table to get her uncle’s gift from her room.

Tim had been relaxing in his chair and suddenly straightened, rubbing both hands over the tops of his thighs. “Do you guys know what it is?” he asked almost nervously. They just shrugged and he nodded, eyes moving around the room as he tried to think of possibilities.

“Oh, get that look off of your face,” ordered Arizona, pointing sharply at him. Tim just exchanged looks with Callie. “You used to have the same expression on when Dad would get close to finding our cigarettes,” she reminded him. “This is my little girl, Tim. She’s not Dad.”

“She’s a little like a mini-Colonel,” he argued. “But in a very cute way.”

“She’s like you,” Callie cut in before the siblings’ bickering could escalate. “And it’s awesome,” she declared, kissing her wife’s cheek and shooting a look at her brother-in-law as their daughter pounded back down the stairs.

Throwing herself into Tim’s lap, Sofia set about unrolling her present with a flourish. Tim shrugged from behind her, not sure what it was. When no one said anything, Sofia jumped down again and ran a quick lap of the kitchen, the red fabric blowing out behind her and making it clear what she’d made.

“A cape? You made me a cape?” Tim asked, clearly pleased.

“You made him a cape?” echoed Arizona, her own surprise clear. She wasn’t jealous of Sofia’s relationship with her brother, she was grateful for it really, glad that her little girl had a strong, honorable man in her life to look up to. She couldn’t say that it didn’t sting a bit that Tim was apparently Sofia’s superhero, though.

Hearing the tone in her partner’s voice, Callie’s hand slid over the top of her thigh under the table. “It’s sweet, Sofia. Did everyone in your class make capes?”

“No, Mami. The teacher said to make something for our hero.” She beamed proudly at her uncle. “And Uncle T was in the Army…”

“Marines,” Tim and Arizona chorused in unison to correct her over the sound of Teddy coughing to try and drown them out.

“And he has the robot leg you gave him…” Sofia continued despite them. She loved the idea that her uncle had a metal leg and was sad that she couldn’t see it. Mami had shown her the x-rays though, which were pretty cool, even if Mama said she was too little to look. “Try it on!”

Tim stood up and tied his new accessory around his neck, shaking it out behind him. It hung barely below his belt in the back but he just grinned, pleased with it. Crouching, he hugged Sofia. “Thank you. I love it.”

“Fly me!” she requested eagerly, squealing as he scooped her over his shoulder and rushed into the backyard.

“Do you ever wonder if we have two kids?” Callie asked, laughing as Teddy followed them outside.

Arizona didn’t speak, chin dropping to her chest as she looked down at herself. No one knew they were trying to get pregnant again. And not even Callie knew that she’s lost her last three dinners to nausea.

“Oh, sweetheart, I didn’t mean it like that,” Callie said when Arizona didn’t answer. “Hey,” she said, patting the top of her wife’s leg. “You know who’s my hero?” she asked softly. Blue eyes met brown, a smile quirking Arizona’s lips. “I think you do know…”

“Calliope…” She couldn’t keep it in anymore, couldn’t even really remember why she hadn’t said anything yet. Callie was patient and supportive and loved her. And they knew how this worked, they’d done this before and it wasn’t always quick or simple. But it had been six months and she was more or less terrified that she wasn’t going to be able to do this for her wife. Callie had offered to carry their next child, but she’d insisted - it was simpler, and somewhere in the midst of watching Callie carry Sofia, she’d had a crazy thought that maybe that was something she could do.

“I’m going to say it anyway,” Callie decided, smiling and leaning into Arizona’s neck. “You are my hero.” She said it simply, calmly. “You do so many amazing things for me, you know that?”

“Calliope…” Arizona said again, feeling her stomach rolling. Typical. And right when she was getting her nerve up to actually share her possible news. “I…” She wasn’t going to make it. She felt bad about shoving Callie’s arm off her shoulders and bolting, but it was either that or puke on the floor.

Callie was on her feet and on her wife’s heels a second later, following her into the small hall bathroom and watching in anxious confusion as Arizona heaved into the toilet. Getting her wits back, Callie moved forward and pulled her wife’s hair back gently, rubbing her back with her other hand. “Was it the pasta? Because I thought my alfredo tasted kind of funny…”

“I had the scampi,” Arizona reminded her between coughs, Callie’s hand rubbing her back soothingly. “That’s not what this is,” she gasped. One hand braced against the floor, the other one sneaking down to cover her stomach. “I think I might need to tell you something…”

Realizing what was going on, Callie’s eyes went wide. “What?! Honey, how long - this isn’t the first time you’ve been sick, is it? Why didn’t you tell me?” It was too close to how she’d reacted when Callie had gone into labor and Arizona smiled, wiping her mouth. Callie’s hand slid across her stomach and she leaned into her neck, breathing deeply. “Is it always at night?”

“So far,” Arizona acknowledged, feeling her stomach still rolling. Callie’s morning sickness had always been quick purges without lingering sick feelings. Her own wasn’t being so kind four days in.

Callie rubbed her stomach soothingly, closing her eyes and coaxing Arizona’s head backward onto her shoulder. “How long?”

“This is the fourth day.”

“How have I not noticed this?” asked Callie. “We sleep together - same room, same bed.”

Arizona smiled, leaning her head up to kiss under her jaw. “You’ve been tired, all the work with your clinical trial.”

“And you didn’t think I would want to know about this, that I wouldn’t give up sleep to hold your hair back?” Callie questioned, smiling down at her.

Arizona’s answer was delayed by another round of purging, Callie moving with her to do what she’d said, holding blonde hair out of the way. When it had passed for the moment, Arizona slumped back into her. “I was scared. I’m still scared. Scared all the time that maybe tomorrow I won’t get sick like this.”

Squeezing her eyes closed, Callie hugged her closer. “Oh Arizona, you know…” She had to stop, swallow a hard lump in her chest. “If it happens, don’t you think I would want to hold you through that too?” Her voice was soft, breath tickling the back of Arizona’s neck.

“Calliope…” Callie would hold her through anything, she knew that. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not mad, sweetheart,” Callie cut her off gently. “And we don’t know anything yet. Do we? Have you taken a test yet?” Fingers combed through soft blonde hair.

Arizona shook her head meekly. “No.” She’d been too anxious about the results to even think about it.

“Okay, well we can go to the pharmacy tonight while Tim and Teddy are here to watch Sofia, or we can get a blood test at work tomorrow,” Callie stated their options, Arizona pulling out of her arms again to dry heave. She had no food left in her but the nausea couldn’t be denied.

“I think I need to lay down,” Arizona said when she could speak, feeling completely miserable. “Preferably on you if that’s okay.”

Callie smiled against her hair. “Of course,” she murmured. “Let’s get you upstairs and I’ll tell T and T that you don’t feel good, see if they can stay until the munchkin is asleep.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Arizona protested even as she let Callie pull her arm around her own shoulders, guiding her slowly and gingerly to her feet.

“You just shut up and let me take care of you,” Callie instructed, flushing the toilet and steering her partner out of the bathroom and down the hall one slow step at a time. “Just breathe,” she coaxed on the stairs, keeping her arm around Arizona’s middle. “We’re almost there, just step over…” Arizona hissed sharply as her toes hit the hard corner of Sofia’s fire truck in the floor. “Sorry, baby.”

Flopping onto her front on the bed, Arizona crawled into the middle of the space and dragged a pillow into her arms, curling herself into as small a ball around it as she could manage. “Ugh, this is your fault, Calliope.”

Callie just planted one knee on the edge of the bed and leaned over to kiss her cheek with a smack. “I hope it is,” she agreed happily. “I’m sorry you don’t feel good though.”

“Because your kid hates Italian,” Arizona whined, rocking into her pillow. “Mngh, Calliope, you promised I could lay on you,” she reminded her. “Tell Sofia that I love her though! And tell Teddy to take the leftovers when they go. I don’t think I can look at them.”

Callie’s hand ran down her arm and across her back tenderly. “Okay, sweetie. Give me one minute and I’ll be back to be your pillow,” she promised.

It was longer than a minute, but still not too long before Callie was back and sliding onto the mattress behind her, pulling her into her arms. “What happened?” mumbled Arizona, cuddling closer and wrapping herself around her wife. Callie was a much better pillow than her pillow.

“Sofia’s going to have a spend-the-night with her favorite aunt and uncle,” Callie answered her, stroking her hair again. “Do you feel better at all?”

“Getting there,” Arizona murmured, nestling her head into Callie’s shoulder. “It normally takes a little while for the nausea to go away.”

Callie hummed, the sound relaxing her partner. “I wish you would have woken me up. It doesn’t matter how much sleep I get. I’d rather be with you anyway.”

“Keep humming,” Arizona requested tiredly. “I’ll wake you up tomorrow night, I promise.” Obediently, Callie sang softly, Arizona’s breathing growing steady and slow against her collarbone. She would have sworn her partner was asleep when she spoke again, voice sleepy and soft, “My dad was my hero growing up…”

Callie waited for more, murmuring, “I can understand why. The Colonel is a heroic kind of guy.”

“And I can understand why Sofia looks up to Tim. Really, I can. Hell, you know I look up to him too. He’s my big brother. And he’s actually kind of superhero-y…”

“Baby,” Callie sighed, turning her head in to kiss blonde hair. “Sofia adores you. Almost as much as I do.” She shifted down to kiss her temple. “Do you want a cape? I will make you a cape. Because you are my hero, Arizona Robbins. Not your dad, and not your brother, you are.”

A heavy breath answered her. “Not if I…”

She was cut off by Callie’s hand over her mouth. “You - Arizona, no matter what, having our baby or not, you’re the one. Anything one person can be for another person that’s awesome, you are it for me. You’re my hero, the mother of my beautiful child, you’re the love of my life.” She found Arizona’s eyes over her hand. “Do you understand me?”

Moving her hand allowed Arizona to agree, “Yes ma’am.” She pulled Callie’s hand back to her lips, kissing her palm. “I’m in love with you,” she whispered. Callie rubbed her shoulders when she coughed, the blonde clenching her teeth and riding out the next wave of nausea. “Thanks,” she breathed, hoarse from coughing.

“Anytime, babe,” Callie promised. “Absolutely anytime.”

Arizona smiled, dimples popping. “I already promised I will wake you up next time. Serves you right for knocking me up.” Callie’s own smile couldn’t be contained at the reminder. Arizona might be pregnant. Or she might have some ongoing food poisoning, which would suck. “You’re a good pillow,” sighed Arizona, nestling closer and closing her eyes.

“How’s your tummy? Feeling better?” checked Callie considerately, rubbing her wife’s stomach.

“Every minute,” Arizona answered. “But I don’t want to move if you’re okay.”

“I’m okay.” Her hand moved in circles across front and back.

“My hero,” murmured Arizona, settling comfortably against her.


End file.
